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After Gahanna Lincoln junior Gabri Levine was taken out of class and forced to change, many students have come out in support of Levine, raising questions about the sexist nature of the dress code.
The incident took place on Friday, October 30th as Levine was on her way to algebra.
“The teacher stopped me in the middle of the hallway telling me my shirt was against school rules, and that I either had to change or go home. I was furious” Levine said.
Another issue with the incident was that Levine refused the school provided clothing due to concerns about COVID-19, meaning a parent had to come from work to bring a change of clothes before she could return to class.
“I absolutely think the dress code is sexist. Shoulders are not sexual. A belly button is not sexual. Thighs are not sexual. We need to ask ourselves why these things are prohibited. I think the school often forgets that the majority of us are minors,” Levine said.
Levine also raised concerns with the common sentiment that boys will be distracted by female bodies that aren’t dressed according to the dress code.
“Why is wearing a tank top distracting? Is it because the staff thinks that the boys won’t be able to look away from our breasts,” Levine said.
Levine has since started a petition to change the dress code and received over 1,200 signatures.
“My hope is eventually no one will be forced to miss out on their education for something so minuscule. For right now, it’s the consequence for breaking that I am trying to fix. Going home without a warning is absolutely ridiculous. Hopefully with your help, we will be able to eventually change the dress code, as it is very outdated and sexist,” Levine said.
For those wishing to support Gabri Levine’s petition against sending students home for “non-offensive clothing,” the link may be found below.
https://www.change.org/p/jessica-williams-no-one-sent-home-from-school-at-gahanna-for-non-offensive-clothing?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=471e67e0-a4bd-11e9-ac34-57621c5c865b