Public gives mixed opinions on Lynnfield dress code

LYNNFIELD The school committee agreed to revise and clarify its proposed dress code policy after feedback from students, teachers and parents at its meeting Tuesday.

Committee member Jim Dillon read the most recent update to the proposed policy, which was revised throughout the summer.

Lynnfield High School seniors Maeve Donovan, Ella Hayman and Emma Rose spoke together about the proposed policy and how important it is to students. All three students had come to the committee as eighth graders in 2021 to spearhead previous changes to the dress code policy.

“We have reviewed the new revised proposal and believe it is a much better alternative than the original proposal from a few weeks ago,” Donovan said. “However, we believe it is necessary for you to understand why this decision is so important.”

Hayman, who is the daughter of committee member Jamie Hayman, said the policy before the 2021 change was outdated, unrealistic and biased in favour of female students.

The significant impact a dress code can have on students cannot be underestimated, Donovan said. One of the most pressing issues facing students and teachers today is the mental health crisis, and it seems imperative to understand the impact stress can have on obese students. When discussing the mental health of young girls and adolescents, body image is a consistent topic of conversation.

The discussion around the proposed policy has a direct impact on students at LHS and Lynnfield Middle School, Rose said.

“We believe that student voices and perspectives deserve to be heard,” she said. “We are not suggesting that students should be directly involved in every policy change. But we will encourage this committee to engage with LHS students and solicit their input to learn more about the culture at LHS and what is really happening at our school. A policy change over the summer limits students’ ability to have their voices heard, and we find that very disappointing.”

Committee Chair Kate DePrizio said the goal of the proposed new policy is to create a better balance between what the committee, principals and teachers observe in schools.

This committee is absolutely committed to reducing barriers to learning and absolutely committed to transparency and feedback, she said.

DePrizio asked the students if they had any specific comments on the proposed policy as it stands. All three agreed they were happy with it.

Cynthia ONeil, a sixth-grade teacher at LMS, said she was pleased to see the committee review the dress code policy, share its revisions with the public and solicit feedback.

She addressed one aspect of the proposed policy, which prohibits students from wearing sleepwear to school. She asked the committee to clarify the wording in the document to ensure that students are allowed to wear flannel pants and slippers.

Jamie Hayman said he was concerned about the ambiguity surrounding the term “nightwear” and called for a section to be added to also ban swimwear.

Mother Allison Donahue addressed the other side of the dress code policy.

“We’ve heard a lot about the impact that telling girls what they should or shouldn’t wear has on their mental health, their confidence and self-esteem, and that school should be a supportive environment where they can learn and be their best,” she said. “The clothes that girls wear, whether they’re appropriate or not, has a subjective impact on other children who may not have the body shape to wear them. And that impacts on their mental health and wellbeing, and perhaps their ability to feel supported and be their best.”

DePrizio said the committee wants the dress code policy to be as objective as possible to avoid any margin for error.

I think we all agree that we want to be very clear that we are not judging anyone's body, we are not body shaming, and we have no discretion over that,” DePrizio said.

She said Dillon and committee member Jenny Sheehan, who are both members of the policy subcommittee, will need to revise the policy to add specific language regarding sleepwear and swimwear, while continuing to keep in mind fairness for all students.