Many young Americans have experienced some degree of the extreme law and order tactics surrounding “distracting” student clothing inside the classroom. It is a long-standing, pervasive ideology written into student handbooks for public schools across the country. Getting dress-coded could even be deemed as a rite of passage for some youths.

In recent times, students have been standing up against this practice, which has been said to perpetuate harmful stereotypes such as the idea that girls’ bodies are inherently distracting and is often used to reinforce racial discrimination. A study completed by the United States Government Accountability Office in a Texas high school revealed that “more than 90% of [dress code] rules prohibit clothing typically worn by female students” in comparison to only 69% of those same rules being enforced for male students (Dress Codes and Equity in Schools, 2022).

To take the gender differentiation a step further, school officials and teachers have been noted to pressure female students into antiquated gender roles that value obedience and docility over individuality. As for the applicability of this rule to race discrimination, there has been a clear disparity in how Black students have been pushed out of schools in comparison to white students. Black students are more than five times more likely to be placed on out-of-school suspension for the same dress code violations that white students make (U.S.GAO, 2024).

There has been ongoing discourse over the colorized settler colonial standards that are still enforced in schools around this country. Standards which are clearly dysfunctional and harmful, even in seemingly trivial situations, such as dress code violations.

In the face of public criticism, many schools have dialed down the severity of punishments for dress code violations. However, with the rise of TikTok and other short-form video platforms, a new problem regarding dress codes in schools has emerged. Teachers wearing “inappropriate” outfits have ignited rage over the internet in the last couple of years.

“Teacher Bae,” as dubbed by the New York Post, has been singled out by online viewers for wearing what they call promiscuous and provocative clothing. But when you take a closer look at her outfits it is easy to see that the problem is not the clothing, it is her body (Scantily clad instructor known as ‘Teacher Bae’ sparks outrage: ‘Schools need to start enforcing teacher dress codes,’ 2025).

Usually, a khaki midi skirt and a white button-up shirt would be considered business casual and appropriate, as would many of her other outfits, such as long flowing pants and a blouse. All of which have been continually publicly denounced. Throughout the multitude of articles available online about this topic, there appears to be one common denominator: a woman’s body.

The shift of the public lens from controlling children’s dress codes in schools to controlling the way adult women dress in schools is notable. What do you think? Does this signify a big change happening in our society?