'Cover your butts up': High school principal demands female students stop wearing figure-hugging leggings



Female students at Minnetonka High School in Minnesota have been told to stop wearing trendy figure-hugging leggings and adopt more conservative styles.



Principal David Adney sent an email to parents on Monday, asking them to talk to their daughters about wearing pants that expose too much 'leg and backside' that can be 'highly distracting' for others.

He told the StarTribune : ' This new trend doesn't seem right, it's troubling. Cover your butts up - I'm just going to say it straight up. We're seeing too much.'

Dress code debate: Minnetonka High School's principal, David Adney, urged students to stop wearing figure-hugging leggings and dress more modestly

M ore than 70 parents and other high schools reportedly called or e-mailed Mr Adney supporting his message, which didn't ban leggings, but urged teens to keep 'things covered up'.

He added: 'It's not about trying to be the clothing police, it's just a sensitivity issue. Hopefully with us being the first to speak up, it will create a lot of conversations.'

Large community: Minnetonka High School has more than 2,800 students

However some pupils have been upset by Mr Adney's email shoot out.

Freshman Carine Colwel, 14, from Chanhassen, explained that a lot of girls wear spandex-like yoga pants to school because they are comfortable.

'Some kids were really mad because they're comfortable,' she said. 'As long as they're not see-through, they should be allowed.'

'It's a tough situation to deal with because that's what the stores are selling, that's what kids are wearing'



Her mother, Traci, who agreed that 'it's gotten way out of control the way kids dress', added that it will be tough for the school to enforce the clothing policy.

'It's a tough situation to deal with because that's what the stores are selling, it's in magazines... that's what kids are wearing and adults are wearing,' she said. 'You see it all over.'

Minnetonka High School's handbook says clothing cannot disrupt education, be offensive or inappropriate.

Controversial: Principal David Adney asked parents to warn their children about wearing pants that expose too much 'leg and backside'

In the past month, Mr Adney said he's received about a half-dozen complaints from female staff and female students concerned about girls wearing spandex and other tight leggings.

This fall teachers have also had to enforce a no-hat policy among boys, and in the past they have clamped down on muscle shirts that were too revealing and sagging pants.

A decade ago when he first started as principal, Mr Adney said the culprits were low-cut jeans and low-cut one-shoulder shirts on girls.

'It's a constant battle,' he said, touching on the debate over school dress codes.

Meanwhile Don Johnson, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals,said: 'Students will always look for something that will be trendy; if it's disruptive to the educational process, it may be banned.'

Christine Helgeson, whose son attends the high school, applauds Mr Adney for addressing fashion trends before they trickle down to younger kids.



'They're setting an example for our middle school kids,' she said.