News

FED UP IS FED UP WITH DRESS CODES

By Rick Joslin/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, September 28, 2006 9:06 AM CDT

A boycott of businesses within the Watson Chapel School District is being considered by FED UP (Fighting Education Depriving Uniform Policies), a group opposing the district’s student dress code and its enforcement measures.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union is reportedly in conference with Little Rock civil rights attorney John Walker on the possibility of initiating legal action on behalf of FED UP against the district and its board, which established the district’s uniform policy.

FED UP founder and spokeswoman Wendy Crow said the group is planning a rally from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on the parking lot of the now-closed Shell gasoline station and convenience store south of the McDonald’s restaurant at 3610 Camden Road.

“We’ll be passing out literature on the boycott and we’ll have a petition there for people to sign against the uniform policy,” she said. “We’re hoping for a big turnout.”

Crow said FED UP now counts nearly 100 adult members.

“There are a lot more parents who are supporting us, but they’re hesitant to be seen or speak out because they’re afraid of retaliation (from school officials) against them or their kids,” said Crow.

“We’ve also got a lot of kids working with us. They want to have a way of expressing their opinions against the uniform policy. They’re not being given a chance to do that in their schools.”

She said numerous students — with their parents’ permission — are planning to wear black armbands to school Oct. 6 as a sign of protest against the dress code and “mourning” for the loss of their “freedom of speech,” which, she said, is being denied by district officials.

Crow said the purpose of the potential boycott is not to harm the nearby businesses, but to possibly lessen the district’s property tax revenue intake.

“We want the district to understand that until it supports us, we won’t be supporting the district,” she said.

“A lot of the kids are planning to bring their lunches to school and not use any of the schools’ vending machines. We’re also urging people to boycott concessions at school athletic events.”

Print this story   |   Email this story