A Catholic school in Michigan was forced to drop its plans to distribute a "modesty poncho" to female students who might wear revealing dresses for prom night after receiving complaints from parents and students.
Principal Eric Haley of the Divine Child High School in Dearborn issued a statement to say that it would not pass out modesty ponchos. Instead, he encouraged students to bring their own wraps or shawls, as they would still need to comply with the dress code.
Prior to the cancellation, the school issued a dress code contract that required the student's signature. It had a long list of prohibited designs for the girls' prom dresses, such as no plunging necklines, exposed cleavage, visible midriff, backless dresses, slits higher than an inch above the knee, or very short hemlines. The boys' list, on the other hand, only included no earrings and no visible tattoos.
The school also reportedly placed modesty poncho displays in the school halls weeks prior to the May 12 prom with a sign that stated that if the girls were inappropriately dressed, they would be given the ponchos before they could enter the prom party.
A teacher was to determine whether the prom attire passes the dress code policy. Parents and students, however, complained that the dress code and the modesty poncho perpetuated body shaming towards the female students.
"It's a method of shaming, a method of building and degrading to females and its interpretation what's modest and what isn't," a parent who refused to be named told Fox News.
A theology teacher at the school reportedly came up with the idea with the hope that the students would focus on their inner beauty.
