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IAHS freshman Juin Baize recently moved to Itawamba County from New Harmony, Ind. He started school Friday dressed similarly without incident and was then absent on Monday and Tuesday because he was sick.
He said that when he returned to school on Wednesday wearing heels and makeup, he was told he couldn’t come to school dressed the way he was. The same thing happened when he arrived at school on Thursday.
“They told me I was too feminine and they were mainly pointing out my heels,” Baize said. “I honestly don’t have boy clothes. I don’t have the money to buy boy clothes. I’m not going to because like everyone else, I’m there to get an education, and everyone else gets to dress like they want to.”
A group of girls at the school also dressed as boys Thursday to protest.
Itawamba County school board attorney Michele Floyd did would not confirm that a student was sent home for dressing like a girl but did say that two students were sent home in violation of dress code policy.
Floyd said it was a different violation for each student.
“My understanding is that they violated the portion of our dress code that says clothing or general appearance are not to be of the type that would cause a disturbance or interfere with an instructional program and should not constitute a health or safety hazard,” Floyd said.
The school’s dress code listed on its Web site lists 19 possible violations, including the one stated by Floyd.
“Our opinion is that it is like any other dress code violation and that is how we handled it,” Floyd said.
Alisha Wilson of The Itawamba County Times contributed to this story. Contact Chris Kieffer at (662) 678-1590 or at chris.kieffer@djournal.com.
Post script to GEEGEE...I have a favorite cousing that is gay..I love her very much but would never allow her to demonstrate homosexual behavior or be some kind of bizarre distraction is my home. When she is on her OWN time, she can do as she wishes. But she knows when she is in the company of my family, flamboyant homosexual activity is not allowed. Accepting someone has nothing to do with accepting their behaviors and it NOT "unChristian" do not accept this type of behavior...
PSS..my advance apologies if I made any grammar or spelling mistakes...I am old and have forgotten much of what I learned in elementary school....:)
However I would like to address a comment below talking about this kid's "obhorent" behavior. Assuming you mean "abhorent" I find that comment out of line.
Abhorent is parents who leave their toddlers to swelter and die in cars while they hang out with their friends or hook up with new lovers.
Abhorent is dogowners who train fighting dogs by feeding them cats and small dogs that they have stolen out of suburban neigborhoods.
Abhorent is bringing your child to the dentist to fake a toothache so that you can get a narcotics prescription. (Really abhorent is taking your hurting child around to 5 or 6 dentists in a week to get more drugs before you finally take them back to get the needed treatment to relieve the pain.)
Abhorent is a lot of things. But some 15 year old boy wearing a skirt and pumps to school doesn't even hit my radar. Silly, ridiculous, attention-seeking, and (in Fulton, MS) risky, yes. But abhorent? I think we need a little perspective here.
i would be curious to know why they moved here.
people like that dont just end up in itawamba county with out a reason.
he knew what he was doing. he went the first day dressed normally. he was scoping out the atmosphere on the first day and then went back to make a statement.
I was wondering, what bathroom does he use? The gals or the guys. Does he know which one?
Looks like they wouldn't want the competition.
Oh well, I guess someone new to borrow shoes from and swap make-up tips trumps that.
BUT, it could get kinda "interesting" at the next slumber party.
I saw where someone stated that we need to get with 2010, and another where someone commented where Mississippi was in a time warp; seeing the actions taken by the school and the comments supporting the school make me proud to call Mississippi home. There is way too much “political correctness” and way too little regard for the rules in modern day society. It is great if people want to express themselves, just do it when you are not on someone else’s time. It does not bother me to see a man dressed as a woman while out shopping, though I don’t understand it and find it odd. If we as a society were to throw out all rules, or the enforcement of them, can you imagine what type of place we would live in…I know I wouldn’t want to live in that type of place!