Father Wears A Crop Top & Short Shorts At School Meeting To Protest Dress Code Change

At a school board meeting in the Higley Unified School District in Arizona, concerned father Ira Latham took a unique approach to protest a proposed dress code change.

Latham, along with other parents, expressed their disagreement with the policy amendment that would permit tank tops and exposed midriffs among students.

As Latham addressed the board, he emphasized the expectation that the district should enforce policies that create a safe and focused classroom environment for his children. He argued that the proposed dress code did not meet those expectations and instead created unnecessary challenges for teachers due to its vague nature.

To vividly illustrate his concerns, Latham decided to engage in an object lesson. 

He proceeded to remove his shirt and pants to reveal a black crop top with spaghetti straps and short jean shorts. 

Fellow parents in the meeting reacted with surprise and amusement.

“Now if you ask me, this is inappropriate for a board meeting,” Latham said.

Through the unconventional demonstration, Latham aimed to highlight his concerns about the proposed dress code’s potential impact on the educational setting.

Latham told KPNX of Mesa, Arizona, that he believes the district needs to prepare students to enter the workforce and set proper expectations.

“The dress code that they wanted to get to is just basically a dress code for a public pool. Make sure that kids cover their underwear and that’s about it,” he said.

The new policy stated that students’ clothing must “[Cover] all private body parts and/or undergarments and must not be see-through.”

Other parents at the meeting had different perspectives.

One mother said she felt that the school shouldn’t censor the children’s expression of themselves, and said, “If you can’t respect yourself, I’m not sure how you can respect others… so, it’s a distraction, yes, that’s also a concern. But also, we need to be raising these girls to be women in society and have that self-respect and dignity.”

The board voted 3-2 to approve the dress code change.