Richmond County school board members tightened the belt Tuesday night on those who have been wearing "saggy pants" to football games and other after-school events.
By a 9-1 vote, the board gave final approval to a policy banning spectators from attending such events if their pants sag so low their underwear is exposed. The dissenting vote was cast by Venus Cain, who had offered a substitute motion.
Under her motion, the policy would not mention "baggy pants" but only state that no underwear could be visible or provocative clothing could be worn.
Ultimately, the board approved a policy that says all pants, including jeans, must be fitted at the waist and not be baggy or oversized or exposing underwear.
The policy will be enforced by school officials, administrators, teachers and other school employees on duty.
The idea was presented by board Vice President Alex Howard, who said he had seen students with sagging pants that exposed underwear at football games.
Board member Frank Dolan said he felt the new policy would send a message.
"They are in our house," he said. "We don't need to let our standards be pulled down by the local trends. Where does it stop?"
The board also unanimously approved a policy focused on bookbags and security searches at after-school events. The policy forbids bookbags at school-sponsored sporting events unless allowed by the principal or a designee. An exception will be made for students who must attend events immediately after school.
The measure says purses, handbags and pouches would be allowed but could be subject to a hand-held metal detector scan or inspection.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3851 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
IN OTHER ACTION
- The board heard that a policy is still being drafted concerning a ban on minifridges and other personal appliances in schools and board offices. The system has targeted the appliances in an effort to save on energy costs. The policy might offer a provision allowing workers to pay a fee to keep their appliance, members were told.
- Patsy Scott, the wife of District 5 school trustee Joe Scott, who died in July, was sworn in to take over her husband's seat and attended her first official meeting.
- Beverly Franqui, a Blythe Elementary teacher, was presented a $500 check and matching donation to the school system as part of a sweepstakes through Horace Mann Insurance Co.
Comments
Justus is right. The bottom line is that the schools are focusing a ton on institutionalizing children and teaching them obedience to authority. No matter how you feel about THAT goal in and of itself, you have to admit that it should not be the primary function of government schools. They should focus more on educating children rather than winning battles over fashion. Seriously, if every boy at a school has baggy pants on that show their underwear, how is it distracting? It is simply seen as unacceptable by those who were brought up with different ideas about what "appropriate" dress is. Think back to rules about haircuts in high schools in the 1960s. Same situation. Tons of time and fight wasted by schools to get boys to cut their hair into an "acceptable" fashion. In the end, it was not a positive force in education, it was fight over obedience.
Anyone ever see Deke Copenhaver without a coat and how the back of his pants look like a Dutch family just moved out?
Hahahaha. Some of us just aren't as blessed in THAT department as others.
"It will not engage one child in the love of learning", but it will prohibit the little hood rat thugs from showing off their nasty drawers and offending the paying customers.
55 F-100 you have "typical white" statements daily. Are you over 40? LOL.
If you practice being a social deviant, that's what you'll get good at. Allowing these boys to show their wares on school grounds and at school events isn't sending the message parents want.
This new policy has nothing to do with academics it was set in place to enforce a standard of dress at after-school activities in which parents, grandparents, out of town guest, and young children are in attendance. No one said this was to improve test scores or help educate young minds. It is a standard of appearance that they want representated at their events that are AFTER school. RCBOE's image is already tarnished by the rift raft that attend these events who are not even students in the system so setting a standard of appearence is just one way of helping out with PR. I think some of you must not have read the article correctly.
what about the girls with their thongs showing?
Notreally...... the "hood rat thugs" reference applies to cretins of all skin colors...black, white, latino/hispanic, asian, mulatto, or any combinations of the aforementioned. The "fashion" should be treated as indecent exposure, and the offenders should be arrested and jailed....but of course we do not want to do anything which may damage their self-esteem....right?
55 F-100---J4 has never gone to the hood and engaged one child in the love of learning. Its time for the parents of these children(hoods) to take control of their own and do something positive. Unfortunately most of these young adults are set in the life of neglect and will end up in prison wearing pants as they are told.
leave the pants alone it's hard to fight or run when you have to hold your pants up or they'll be around your ankles
the schools have no choice but to attempt to teach the future criminal population/welfare mothers respect for authority because the parents who should be doing it aren't. hey board..why not follow suit and institute a uniform policy as well
Way to go board--you have finally done something right. Love Dolan's statement, "You are in our house"!! Well said!
How ignorant to say have did...Before posting a comment, go back to school and get some English grammar lessons. And furthermore, put all the b-------in jail or make them go naked all day at school. How disgusting, disrespectful, and just plain stupid. All this baggy pants crap started in prisons letting theri fellow inmates that they were ready to be had. Sick, Sick, Sick
I see a lot of firings and "placed on leave"....when school officials TRY to enforce this new policy and the sweet young men argue back and the enevitible "struggle" ensues........I'm just saying......
I wonder if Dolan really thinks the schools are owned by board members, his atatement "They are in our house," he said." sure appears to indicate so. A better statement would heve been "they are in facilities that are owned by taxpayers". In any event I can't wait for the first lawsuit. What are they going to do with the pants that have 2 foot long crotches and show no undies and what about the sagging pants that have a knee length shirt covering the undies? Does the person have to raise their shirt to determine if undies are visible? Yeah we really have a jewel from the royal court in this one. BTW will this count as a huge plus for the jester in next years bonus rounds?
diss, I would imagine dolan is a taxpayer, wouldn't you? Therefore his statement is correct. Furthermore, they ARE in MY house--got it? "Raise a shirt to see if undies are visible"? Boy, you aren't too bright, are you?
I think it society starts laughing at the retards maybe they will see that it isn't all that cool to look like a prison thug.
Good move on baggy pants. They fit in with nose rings, nose jewelry, tattoos, sideway ball caps. What is the name of the baggy pants and which stores sell them? I'd like a pair for my scarecrow in the garden. I say all these items are used to take the ugly looking faces.
Part of a good education and preparing our children for real life is teaching then a healthy respect for rules and authority. Do you know how difficult it will be for these kids to find jobs with their pants sagging? Haircuts are another thing until you go to extremes. Nuts & bolts in your face won't endure you to employers either. Is our goal to simply coddle our kids or to prepare them to be able to take care of themselves? Poster #1 says we "have did" nothing to engage kids in the love of learning. I disagree. If a child feels safe in school he tends to learn more and may even fall in love with learning. Rules and adherence to rules makes kids safer.I have said this before and will continue to say this. If you can get your kids to do just 4 simple things, 1. Graduate 2. Do not have children before you are married 3. Do not marry before age 21 4. Stay out of jail, your child will have less than an 8% chance of living in poverty.
The above post 8:35 is best post of the day. This sums it all up !!
If I want to see your underwear, I will do your laundry or buy some drinks. I think it is showing disrespect for themselves as well as all others that have to see it. If you act like trash, you will be trash......
Although I think it's a great idea to have a policy that prevents "saggy pants and underwear showing", I see the potential for problems with the new policy "that says all pants, including jeans, must be fitted at the waist and not be baggy or oversized or exposing underwear." Most teen jeans are fitted along the hips just below the waist. Will these students also be banned from school events due to them being in partial violation of the new policy. If a teen is refused because his pants are baggy will another student be refused for his/her jeans not being fitted at the waist even if in both cases their underwear is not exposed?
Willienelson hit the nail on the head. The style of dress referred to here promotes the juvenile/thug mentality whose culture dictates that young men are "selling out" if they act responsibly with their lives (and appearance). There is nothing positive about a bunch of teenagers (or dare I say it) "young adults" walking around a school event with their pants hung to their thighs and underwear showing to all.
thank you for taking the baggy pants out of school.. now if we could stop these idiots from showing us there underware in public places like the mall and other businesses.. and phillygirl i agree that it's just as inappropriate for girls to show off their underware..
To all the people who are giving the Board a hard time over this. Where exactly do you want the line drawn? Should we see their butt cracks? Their pubic hair? Their penises (or nipples)? You have to draw a line somewhere and the board drew it. It may not be exactly where you want it, but you can't deny that one needed to be drawn SOMEWHERE. If parents (grandparents, aunts, uncles) would take some responsibility for their children, the board wouldn't have had to step in at all. You know the saying "it takes a village"? Well the Board is stepping up as part of that village. I wish they didn't have to, but apparently, from what I've seen kids wearing, they do. If you don't like the ruling, don't go to the games, simple solution. I, for one, won't miss seeing your nasty underwear one little bit.
justus4, have you not seen the pants so low as to expose the underwear. Try working all day looking at underwear. As a matter of fact jus sit one day in the parking lot wheschool is dismissed, and if you can tolerate the number of exposed underwear you are a oustanding person
The sagging pants to show underwear is a gang thing. You notice they never show tighty whities, it's colored boxers. Since the schools outlawed everything else, they are sagging their pants to show gang affiliation, and then the other kids are wannabes.
No, really, I think the saggy pants means just what it meant when it started in prison--I am available, want my bootie?
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