Texas school bans all-black clothing because colour ‘associated with depression’

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A school in Texas has changed its dress code to forbid “black tops with black bottoms” citing concerns about mental health and criminality.

The principal of Charles Middle School in El Paso, Nick DeSantis, wrote in a letter to parents that an all-dark ensemble can be “associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality.”

The school is “eliminating a look that has taken over on campus with students wearing black tops with black bottoms, which has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn,” read the letter, obtained by KVIA.

“I understand that it is a concern, but keep in mind that students’ safety is our number one priority, and so anytime there are concerns that are brought forward about student safety, it’s important for us to take those seriously,” Sarah Venegas, executive principal of the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), told the outlet.

She explained the school allowed black pants last year but going forward, students will only be allowed to wear khaki pants and blue jeans.

“Wearing your uniform is a part of the school rules, at every campus,” she added. “If they’re in uniform violations it can be a disciplinary infraction but that is up to every administrator.”

The EPISD, which created the policy, told KFOX that the dress code change was intended to “enhance students’ well-being and sense of pride” and “aims to foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively showcase the school’s colors and pride.”

The president of the El Paso Teachers Association, Norma De La Rosa, noted to KTUL that children could wear black shorts in gym class, or on civvies days — but also admitted that “the colors are not much for to prevent or stop mental health issues. You can have the most colorful dress on and still be suffering through depression.”

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Many parents agreed in a poll about the new dress code, with one dad commenting, “The color of clothing has nothing to do with your ability to do anything or feel any emotion.”

Another parent wrote, “Making students wear a different color isn’t going to magically make them a completely different person.”