Parents of children attending a Texas school said they are angry with the administration's punishment for a dress code violation. According to the parents, school officials are marking up their children's shoes with a black marker or duct tape, KENS reported.
Part of the required uniform at the IDEA Public Schools Harvey E. Najim campus in San Antonio is that students must wear all-black shoes, KSAT reported.
In the uniform guide published online by IDEA Public Schools, the requirement lists the shoes as "black shoes with black laces (if applicable)." White socks are also required.
When several students did not comply with the dress codes when classes began this week, school officials filled in the non-black parts of the shoes with black permanent markers or the duct tape, the television station reported.
"I feel like they're degrading the children," Lashonda Peterson, whose daughter's mostly black shoes had duct tape put on the top of her shoe, told KENS. "This the third year my kids have attended this school, and I just feel like they've just gone a little overboard."
One parent, who spoke to the television station, but requested anonymity, said her child was removed from class because she was not wearing white socks.
"She's in seventh grade and never had an issue. Ever, ever, ever," the parent told KENS. "And just over some socks, the color of the socks. I was like, 'No, it doesn't make no sense.'"
In a statement to news outlets, IDEA Public Schools said uniform guidelines were communicated before the school year started:
"IDEA Public Schools believes that uniforms play an important role in maintaining a culture of focused learning and positive behavior. We communicated uniform expectations with families prior to the start of the school year and will continue to ensure families are informed via campus communications and parent meetings.".
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