School dress codes have been igniting debates between parents, students, and staff for decades, but never more so than in recent years. When Dr. Catherine Pearlman's daughter was reprimanded at her school for wearing shorts that 'didn't come all the way down to her fingertips,' she decided to write the principal a scathing letter that is now going gloriously viral.
Pearlman, a social worker originally from Long Island, New York, initially published her letter on NBC News' TODAY Parenting Team community blog, and has already received over 400 upvotes, as well as thousands of likes and shares from other websites. Her daughter, 13 years old, was subjected to a practice adopted by most public schools - banning shorts that aren't longer than a girl's fingers. Can we talk about how problematic this is for a second?
As if it isn't bad enough that girls are more likely to be penalized by the dress code than boys every time, they're often made to feel responsible for its existence. Baring their shoulders, legs, and midriffs is viewed as a sexual distraction and provocation to male students and teachers, which basically teaches girls that their bodies are inherently sexual objects that must be covered. This mom challenged the system head first, and we just wish we could see the principal's reaction. Read the entire letter below, and weigh in with your opinion at the end!
This 13-year-old girl was dress-coded by her school for wearing shorts that didn't come down past her fingertips
Her mom, outraged, decided to pen a scathing open letter to the school principal over the incident
2 days in a row? Seriously? If you think this mama bear was done there, wait til you see what came next...
She decided the best way to address the issue was to write a letter:
That's right - this beautiful young girl's body is not a sexual object, no matter what she's wearing
The well-spoken mom received an outpouring of support from others also fed up with antiquated dress codes
