A Texas middle school is banning students from wearing all-black clothing because school officials say it’s associated with mental health issues.

Students at Charles Middle School in El Paso, Texas, headed back to school Monday, days after a letter from Principal Nick DeSantis outlined the school’s new dress code policy. The letter says the school is eliminating all-black clothing because it is “associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality.”

Norma De La Rosa, the president of El Paso Teachers Association, explained in more detail why the policy is in place and what clothing is allowed. She says teachers see a sudden change in students going from dressing with color to all black when they are depressed or stressed.

Many parents and community members disagree with the policy, commenting online that clothing color doesn’t define a person’s mental state.

“The color of clothing has nothing to do with your ability to do anything or feel any emotion,” Alex Lucero said.

“Making students wear a different color isn’t going to magically make them a completely different person,” Alexis Contreras said.

  • @[email protected]
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    574 months ago

    Kids are sad and they display it by wearing black clothing.

    Instead of doing anything about the kids mental health; we ban them from showing they’re sad?

    Brilliance from texas as always.

  • @Soup
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    534 months ago

    “These kids are sad and I don’t want to see them be sad. Emphasis on the ‘see’, of course, because who actually gives a shit amirite?”

    I also love the “and/or criminality” part. Like bro if that were the case maybe ban ill-fitting suits or boat shoes or something, fuck. What a bunch of dipshits.

  • dactylotheca
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    284 months ago

    Every day I manage to be surprised at how mind-bogglingly stupid conservatives are.

    Well, surprised but also not surprised at all.

    • @Got_Bent
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      84 months ago

      I don’t know that I’d include El Paso in the Texas conservative category you’re probably thinking of. It’s much closer in culture, demographics, and geography to a mixture of Mexico and New Mexico, both of which it borders.

      • @UnderpantsWeevil
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        4 months ago

        I don’t know that I’d include El Paso in the Texas conservative category you’re probably thinking of.

        It’s a classic small-c economically conservative community, prone to embrace these superficial fixes rather than doing anything that might cost money.

      • @FireTower
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        14 months ago

        Maybe it’s got a lot of Blue Dog Democrats but it seems to be left leaning.

  • @[email protected]
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    164 months ago

    But surely even Texans aren’t stupid enough to believe this would actually work, are they?

    Oh hang on, they believe in the power of prayer. Move along.

  • Nougat
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    154 months ago

    You know what middle schoolers have in spades? The time and inclination to fuck with authority. I see a whole bunch of students at that school showing up with black shoes, black pants, black shirts … and rainbow socks.

  • AsakuraMao
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    154 months ago

    We are living in the dumbest timeline…and it keeps getting dumber.

  • @UnderpantsWeevil
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    134 months ago

    Banning frowns because they’re a sign of unhappiness.

  • @Zachariah
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    64 months ago

    Just because the people running the school have concerns about their own mental health, doesn’t mean the kids should suffer.

  • @[email protected]
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    24 months ago

    I was pretty sure that thumbnail was some sort of small gnome in a robe with a pointy hat before I zoomed in lol