KENOSHA, WI — The mother of a Wisconsin middle school student is challenging a local school district's policy, which bans students from wearing form-fitting yoga pants and leggings if left uncovered by other clothing.

In a report in the Kenosha News this week, Kate Trudell, the parent of an 11-year-old middle school student, is challenging the school board to lift its legging ban. Policy "Makes Girls Responsible for Boys Behavior"

Trudell argued that Kenosha Unified's ban implies that leggings are "too distracting" for the boys. She further explained to the board that district policy shifts the blame for certain types of unwelcome adolescent boy behavior directly onto the girls. "Telling girls that they can only wear yoga pants under a tunic is forcing the objectification of the female body onto 11-year-old girls. This makes it the girls' responsibility to cover up their already covered body because the very shape of their body is a distraction to other students — boys, in particular," Trudell said Tuesday before the Kenosha Unified School board, as reported in the Kenosha News.

Uniforms Form Fitting Also District policy states that leggings and yoga pants may only be worn underneath dresses, skirts, skorts, shorts and tunics.

It should also be noted, however, that school uniforms and outfits for for district volleyball teams, track teams and dance squads also sometimes are made of uncovered form-fitting shorts or leggings.

Leggings An Issue Across U.S.

Kenosha's grapple with the leggings issue is just one place in the U.S. where parents and district officials are wrestling uneasily with how to proceed. In one Florida school district this year, officials are calling for a dress code change, banning leggings, yoga pants and tights if not covered by a shirt or skirt no more than 4 inches above the knee. And they propose redefining the activities that could lead to expulsion to include continuous disruptive behavior (defined as 14 or more referrals).