Dress code: Exceptions should be made for sunburns

I just brought my eighth grader a coat to cover her bad sunburn so she doesn’t violate the Bethel Middle School dress code. She’s wearing jeans and a tank top to let the air to her shoulders. She now has material rubbing against a bad sunburn. I understand needing a dress code but this shoulder thing is simply ridiculous. It is my job to teach my children how to dress properly. It is not the school district’s job.

In my opinion the school is overstepping boundaries. First Lady Michelle Obama greets foreign dignitaries wearing summer dresses that show her shoulders. My 7-year-old has asked me if her shoulders are a “private part” now. The district is teaching young children to hide and be ashamed of their shoulders.

I now have to deprogram my child and tell her that the rules are wrong and stupid, something I have never done before.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Dress code: Exceptions should be made for sunburns."