Appropriate Dress Code Interim Guidelines

Limestone Learning Foundation

In fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to provide a safe, equitable, and inclusive school environment that allows students to express themselves, Limestone District School Board is suspending the application and use of Administrative Procedure (AP) 352: Appropriate Dress pending its revision. These interim guidelines on dress code will apply until AP 352 has been reviewed and updated.

The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits policy or practice that discriminates or disproportionally impacts a particular individual or group. School dress codes have been enforced in ways that disproportionately and negatively impact some students, including those who identify or present as female, those who are racialized, gender diverse, transgender, non-binary, students with disabilities, those who are socioeconomically marginalized and Indigenous, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students.

Student dress code and administrative enforcement should not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any individual or group. The interim guidelines will apply principles of anti-oppression, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, equity, inclusion, respect, and personal dignity, and must be applied in a fair and consistent way.

These interim guidelines will apply in all schools, and to all LDSB education programs, including school activities that occur off school property.

Staff responsibilities:

  • Staff will remove any references to AP 352 that may exist on school websites, or in staff or student handbooks and agendas.

  • Staff are responsible for ensuring that student dress does not interfere with student and staff health or safety requirements (e.g., proper footwear in technological education) and/or promote or symbolize drugs, alcohol, illegal activity, hate or discrimination (e.g. the Confederate flag), profanity, or pornography, and/or incite violence or harassment, and/or threaten health and safety.

  • Staff have the additional responsibility to support student health, safety, and well-being and foster positive school climates while affirming and respecting student choices and freedom of expression. The principal is responsible for day-to-day operations, implementation, and enforcement at the school level.

Student’s rights, responsibilities, and expectations:

  • Students have the right to express themselves, feel comfortable in what they wear, and have the freedom to make dress choices (e.g., clothing, hairstyle, makeup, jewelry, fashion, style, culture, etc.). Students have the responsibility to respect the rights of others, and support a positive, safe, and shared environment. Student dress must conform with established health and safety requirements for the intended activity (e.g., health and physical education classes, science and chemistry classes, sporting events, technical education, drama/dance classes, etc.)

  • Must wear a top and bottom layer of clothing of opaque material that covers the groin, buttocks, and mid-chest (breast and nipple area)

  • May wear tops that expose arms, shoulders, stomachs, midriff, neck lines, cleavage, and straps

  • May wear bottoms that expose legs, thighs and hips and expose underwear bands.

  • May wear any headwear or head covering that does not obscure the face including but not limited to, ball caps, head scarves, hoodies, toques, etc.

  • Notwithstanding the above, students may wear dress or headwear requirements to support religious/creed accommodations and similar human rights accommodations

  • Cannot wear underwear as outerwear, excluding sports bras which are athletic wear

  • Cannot wear anything that promotes or includes discriminatory content, depicts, or displays hate speech targeting groups based on race (e.g., the Confederate flag), ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other protected grounds

  • Cannot wear anything that promotes or symbolizes drugs, alcohol, illegal activity, profanity, or pornography, and/or that incites violence or harassment, and/or threatens health and safety

Staff response to violations of these interim guidelines:

  • Staff will respond to student dress code violations in a consistent and fair way that is inclusive and non-gender specific, avoiding reinforcing gender and other stereotypes

  • Staff will sensitively and privately address the situation with the student. Violations should be treated as minor. Students should not be removed from class and violations should not interfere with the student’s access to their education and related activities unless it is a violation under the Safe Schools Act or the Ontario Human Rights Code. For example, where the clothing promotes or includes discriminatory content, depicts, or displays hate speech targeting groups based on race (e.g., the Confederate flag), ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other protected grounds, promotes or symbolizes drugs, alcohol, illegal activity, profanity, or pornography and/or incites violence or harassment; and/or threatens health and safety

  • Staff must ensure no student is negatively affected by dress code enforcement because of their identity and any protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code

  • Students should not be shamed or required to display their body in front of others (students, parents/guardians, or staff) in school. “Shaming” includes but is not limited to kneeling or bending over to check attire fit, measuring straps or skirt length, asking students to account for their attire in the school, and directing students to correct a dress code violation in the classroom or other public place

  • Students in violation of these guidelines should never be forced to wear clothing that does not belong to them but can be asked to put on their own clothing if available.

  • Students’ parents should never be called during the school day to bring alternative clothing for the student unless it is a violation under Safe Schools requirements or the Ontario Human Rights Code. For example, where the clothing promotes or includes discriminatory content, depicts, or displays hate speech targeting groups based on race (e.g., the Confederate flag), ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other protected grounds, promotes or symbolizes drugs, alcohol, illegal activity, profanity, or pornography, and/or incites violence or harassment, and/or threatens health and safety

  • Staff should offer a variety of choices to remedy any inappropriate dress such as asking the student to wear additional clothing of their own to obscure the inappropriate dress choice, to borrow additional clothing from a peer, to contact a family member to bring extra clothes, or to wear new clothing provided by the school

The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.