The last time the issue came up, school board members voted down a policy that would have banned strapless dresses, low-cut blouses, blue jeans and spandex.
Becky Jordon, a Kanawha County school board member, wants teachers to come to work looking like professional employees.
“I think teachers should be able to dress comfortably,” Jordon said. “All I’m asking for is that if you’re telling a student they can’t wear tank tops, then an employee shouldn’t be able to.”
“I was at a school recently and a teacher had the back out of her shirt and a big tattoo was showing,” the school board member added. “I’ve seen some teachers whose skirts are so short that it does draw attention.”
Christine Campbell, president of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, argues that a dress code is unnecessary.
“What are we trying to do? Does this really impair the children’s ability to learn, and where does it stop? Are we going to line teachers up and measure the length of their skirts?” said Campbell. “Let teachers do their jobs and focus on education instead of imposing someone’s personal preference on their style.”
The teachers union also calls a dress code an unconstitutional encroachment on the human rights of its members.
The union’s trump card is a 1988 court decision holding that school boards do not have the authority to force restrictive dress codes on teachers because such codes infringe on freedom of expression.
http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/01/west-va-teachers-union-insists-on-constitutional-right-to-wear-spandex-short-skirts/#ixzz2pLZbml33