School to student: Leggings worn as pants are inappropriate

A freshman at Rockville High School in Maryland claims she was told to go home for wearing tight-fitting leggings as pants.

Laura Woche arrived for classes on Wednesday dressed in a pair of black stretch bottoms and a thigh-length knitted top.

But the teenager told NBC Washington that she was pulled out of class by the principal and not allowed to return until she had changed into 'more appropriate' clothing.

Principal Dr Debra Munk reportedly warned Laura that leggings worn as pants were against the uniform policy and shirts must be long enough to touch the finger tips.

Indeed, the school's dress code clearly states that 'leggings or stockings worn as pants' are not allowed, however it does not comment on the 'fingertip-length rule' regarding tops.

The only women's tops it refers to are 'extremely revealing' and 'distracting' styles which expose the bust, midriff and shoulders.

But Laura's mother, Genevieve, who was forced to leave work early to pick her daughter up, is furious.

She told NBC: 'Girls should not be dressing provocatively in school because it, quote, distracts the boys, but that is not the case; this is not distracting. This [outfit] is not inappropriate...

'She's 5ft 11in, so she's so tall that she would have to have a skirt almost down to her knees.'

More than 100 parents and other students have now joined the dress code debate after an image of Laura's outfit was posted on Facebook.

And most have sided with the teenager. A fellow pupil wrote: 'As a student at Rockville it's has become bothersome that administration is caring more about what your wearing than the actual education itself.'

While the mother of a past student said: 'Absolutely ridiculous! She is dressed just fine. My daughter graduated from Rockville HS in 1987 and I've seen many more inappropriate outfits. They've gone too far!'


Another commented: 'She looks beautiful and tasteful . . . more girls should dress this way.'

Not everyone is a fan of the outfit, though. One commentator wrote: 'Hey ladies . . . Leggings are hideous . . . and should not be worn as pants. Not a good look for anyone.'

Laura's mother also weighed in on the Facebook debate, telling her own side of the story: 'I understand that clothes should not be revealing; however, hers are not.

'I told the principal to allow my daughter to return to class and she refused to let her until I brought her different clothes or took her home to change,' she said.

She insisted that her daughter's clothes conformed with Montgomery County Public Schools' dress code, however Dr Munk has imposed her 'own restrictions' at Rockville High School.