The Washington Post - 06.09.2019

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ M2 B3

even though the school’s policies don’t prohibit them. In response, students planned a “head wrap clapback” protest, in which students wore head wraps, bonnets or do-rags to school, according to the NWLC report. Students at School Without Walls High School in the District organized lunchtime protests to call attention to what they saw as uneven enforcement of their school’s dress code. In 2017, school officials formed a dress code committee, but the committee’s recommendations were not adopted, the report said. After student protests, the school’s administrators worked with a dress code task force to adopt a revised policy, the NWLC report stated. “There’s less room for teacher discretion in enforcing the dress code or through discrimination based on body shape or body size,” Samantha O’Sullivan, 18, a graduate from School Without Walls High School, was quoted as saying in the report. For a final project for a design class last year, Keontria Wain- wright, a 17-year-old student from Capital City Public Charter School, produced a documentary about how dress codes were af- fecting girls in her school. She has also called for more relaxed dress codes as a member of her student council, she said in an interview with The Washington Post. Wainwright recalled how both- ered she felt seeing a teacher ask a classmate to take off her head wrap in a class. Wainwright said she herself has long legs and struggles to find dresses that meet the length required by her school’s dress code. One time, Wainwright re- counted, a teacher saw her in the hallway and questioned the length of a dress she was wearing. “Are you sure that it’s three inches above the knee?” the teacher asked. Wainwright spent the rest of the day pulling her dress down, covering her legs with a sweater and feeling uneasy about how she looked. “It makes us second-guess our- selves,” Wainwright said. “We can’t be free and wear what we want.” [email protected]

pended in schools. Adaku Onyeka-Crawford, di- rector of educational equity and senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, said such dress code violations disrupt students’ learning and level of com- fort in schools. “If you’re constantly being scrutinized or concerned just because of how you look, that will affect how you learn in the class- room and it will affect whether or not you want to be there,” she said. Many restrictive dress codes, Onyeka-Crawford added, are “promoting a standard of profes- sionalism that is actually just a standard of whiteness,” particu- larly when it comes to hairstyles. Calls for changes to dress codes in schools also parallel efforts to change dress codes in workplaces, Onyeka-Crawford said. For example, California recently became the first state to explicitly ban discrimination based on natural hair in the workplace and in K-12 schools. In schools across the District in the past year, students have been calling on their administrators to take similar measures. In September of last year, students at Duke Ellington School of the Arts noticed school administrators were singling out students for wearing head wraps,

the flexibility and responsibility to set its own dress code policies for its students as long as policies follow the Student Fair Access to School Act. “Some require uniforms, while others set specific standards for all genders,” the statement read. Nearly 80 percent of the D.C. high schools reviewed in the report required uniforms. Across the country, school uniforms are on the rise. More than 40 percent of the nation’s public schools and preschools now use uniforms, according to government data. Proponents of uniforms say they provide students with a sense of belonging, help maintain school decorum and are a con- venient and cost-saving option for parents. Some studies show students who wear uniforms per- form better academically. But critics, including some parents, say they limit individuality and self-expression. Many schools that require uniforms still im- pose restrictions on skirt lengths and other details. When school policies enforce restrictions on clothing they see as too tight or low-cut, the report’s authors write, girls who are curvier or more developed often end up being punished for their body types. And across the country, black girls are five times as likely as white girls to be sus-

violations after the D.C. Council recently passed the Student Fair Access to School Act. The NWLC report follows up on last year’s examination of D.C. dress codes. In a statement Wednesday, a D.C. Public Schools spokesman said officials have facilitated feedback sessions with teachers, students and staff across the district to review the earlier NWLC report and offer recommendations to improve schools’ existing dress code policies. The district has also worked directly with schools to learn more about their dress code policies, how they are implemented, what they are do- ing to support students who are impacted by the dress code policy, and providing support where it is needed, according to the statement. “Our goal is always to provide safe and welcoming learning en- vironments for all students, especially our young women and students of color,” the statement read. “DCPS has been proactive in addressing the needs of our students and we also have clear systems in place for students, families, and staff members to report any incidents in which they have felt treated unfairly.” A spokeswoman for the D.C. Public Charter School Board said each public charter school has

“Especially in this Me Too
movement that we’re in, schools
shouldn’t be teaching students
that it’s okay to scrutinize girls’
bodies... or make them feel like
they have to cover up or feel less
than,” said Nia Evans, author and
lead researcher of the report.
“Schools are literally showing
students how to police and judge
and shame girls’ bodies, and
that’s wrong.”
The study included a report
card that rated each school based
on whether its policies included
one of 12 types of restrictions,
such as requiring a uniform; re-
stricting tank tops, width of
sleeves or tightness of clothing;
requiring a certain length for
skirts or shorts; or banning
tights, leggings, or certain hats or
head wraps.
Twelve schools received a
grade of F for having five or more
dress code restrictions. Seven of
the 29 schools had dress code
policies with eight or more dress
code restrictions. Each one of
those was a charter school.
Additionally, six schools did
not make their dress code pol-
icies available, according to the
report released Wednesday.
While some policies made clear
they intended to remain gender-
neutral, many of the dress codes
focused on clothes usually worn
by girls.
“Crop tops, tube tops, halters
and spaghetti straps are unac-
ceptable (anything less than 2
inches is considered a spaghetti
strap.) Strapless dresses without
jackets are unacceptable,” states
the dress code from the Theodore
Roosevelt High School Student
Handbook. “The display of cleav-
age is unacceptable. Low cut
blouses, tops, sweaters, etc. with
plunging necklines are not al-
lowed.”
More than half of D.C. public
and charter high schools outlined
certain punishments for dress
code violations, such as detention
or a call to a parent. Many previ-
ously included suspensions as
consequences, but beginning in
the 2020-2021 school year, public
schools in the District will be
prohibited from issuing out-of-
school suspensions for dress code

DRESS CODE FROM B1

THE DISTRICT

One dead, one injured in Northeast shooting

One man is dead and another wounded after a shooting in Northeast Washington late Wednesday. Police identified the man who died as Semaj Alsobrooks, 22, of Northeast. The shooting happened just before midnight in the 3900 block of East Capitol Street, a few blocks from the Anacostia Freeway in the Benning neighborhood. Authorities said officers responding to a call for a shooting found a man with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The wounded man was also taken to a hospital and was expected to survive, authorities said. — Dana Hedgpeth

MARYLAND

Cheverly investigating odd, strong odor

The town of Cheverly in Prince George’s County — population 6,173 — has a new, strange odor that’s been so strong at times that it’s awakened some residents from their sleep, and town officials say they’re trying to figure out what it is. Officials said in a statement on the town’s website that some of the odor has “also caused residents to gag and experience a burning feeling in the back of the throat.” In the posting that went up Wednesday, they said the reports of the smell started Tuesday evening, but it’s not clear from where the stench is coming. Officials said they’ve reported the conditions to the state’s Department of the Environment and also reached out to the local fire department, Washington Gas, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and Pepco. Mayor Laila Riazi said Thursday that she didn’t want to comment further because “we’re looking into things.” — Dana Hedgpeth

VIRGINIA

Arlington replaces Davis highway signs

Arlington County on Thursday began replacing signs that identify U.S. Route 1 as Jefferson Davis Highway with signs that say Richmond Highway. The name change was approved by the state in May, after years of effort from advocates and local officials who did not want the road to pay tribute to the former president of the Confederacy. Neighboring Alexandria made a similar change at the beginning of this year. The highway had carried the Jefferson Davis name since 1922. Arlington estimates it will have to spend $17,000 to pay for the new street signs. — Staff and wire reports

LOCAL DIGEST

Results from Sept. 5

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MULTI-STATE GAMES Cash 4 Life: 9-25-32-36-60 ¶3 Lucky for Life: 5-20-32-38-47 ‡15 Powerball: 4-8-30-52-59 **2 Power Play: 10x *Bonus Ball **Powerball ¶ Cash Ball ‡Lucky Ball For late drawings and other results, check washingtonpost.com/local/lottery

LOTTERIES

BY LAUREN LUMPKIN

The D.C. attorney general is
seeking more than $2.9 million
from 16 Maryland and Virginia
parents — including a D.C. police
officer and five other current or
former government employees —
for allegedly lying about their
residency to slip their children
into D.C. schools, according to a
statement.
Thursday’s announcement
marked the biggest crackdown
on residency fraud by Attorney
General Karl A. Racine, who has
spent the past two years pursu-
ing families accused of fraudu-
lently seeking to send children to
the city’s traditional public
schools and charter schools.
“These lawsuits should re-
mind non-D.C. residents that
there are consequences for
breaking the rules to avoid pay-
ing nonresident tuition,” Racine
said in a statement. “This is a
message to everyone that resi-

dency fraud is a violation of the law, and our office will hold parents and guardians account- able for falsifying their residency to send their children to District schools for free.” In separate lawsuits, Racine’s office accuses Maryland and Vir- ginia families of skirting tuition required from nonresidents, which typically runs between $10,000 and $14,000 a year, according to a statement. Under D.C. law, authorities can seek up to triple the amount owed by suburban families in unpaid tuition. Five Maryland residents who allegedly lied about living in the District also are accused of com- mitting fraud to receive Medic- aid, food stamps and benefits under the program Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The attorney general identified those parents as Latosha Joseph and Mark Francis, Joce- lyn Johnson, and Julia and Ka- mechia White. Racine said they are being sued for more than $1 million. Julia White is a former D.C. Public Schools educational aide, a statement from the attorney general says. Racine’s office is also suing a D.C. police officer and his wife,

who is a city social worker, for $775,733. Edward Smith and Rayna Bailey-Smith, of Mary- land, allegedly sent their four children to D.C. schools for more than a decade, the lawsuit against them states. The lawsuits also name former D.C. teacher LaShana Jamison Shubert, now of Hamlet, N.C., and her husband, Raymond Shubert, of Brandywine, Md.; Lynette C. Broadus and Kevin J. Tolson, who lived in Maryland or Virginia while allegedly claiming D.C. residency; Amanda Turner, of Takoma Park, Md.; and LaFon- ta C. Dublin, of Capitol Heights, Md. Attempts to reach the defen- dants Thursday were unsuccess- ful. Angel Matthews, a bus atten- dant for the District’s Office of the State Superintendent of Edu- cation (OSSE), allegedly enrolled her daughter at a D.C. middle school, then moved to Maryland without informing the District, Racine’s office asserts. Another government worker, Marcus Silver, who is employed at the Department of Public Works, allegedly enrolled his daughter in D.C. schools, even though the family lives in Hyatts-

ville, Md., according to the lawsuit filed against him and his wife, Marva, who are being sued by the city for more than $27,000. Residency fraud garnered attention in 2018 after a city inves- tigation accused more than 160 teenagers at Duke Ellington School of the Arts of living outside the District. In October, parents and school officials said the city determined that at least 90 of those students actually lived in the District. Also in 2018, Racine’s office sued six Maryland parents for allegedly sneaking their children into in-demand schools, including Capitol Hill Montessori and Ellington School of the Arts. As the District continues to crack down on instances of alleged residency fraud, education officials in recent years have issued regulations designed to ensure that D.C. residents have access to city schools. “We have taken a number of steps to improve our residency processes over the past three school years, and we have been careful to balance the need to prevent, detect and address residency fraud with the need to ensure that our processes do not

create barriers for D.C. residents in complex situations from being able to enroll their children in school,” Fred Lewis, an OSSE spokesman, said in an email. Since 2017, the office has launched public awareness cam- paigns, introduced an anony- mous tip line reporting concerns and established an audit process that focuses more on residency verification. The children of the adults named in the lawsuits allegedly attended different D.C. schools for varying amounts of time. Joseph and Francis, a married couple from Upper Marlboro, Md., allegedly sent their three children to District schools for 13 years between 2005 and 2019, the lawsuit states. Woodrow Wilson High School, Columbia Heights Educational Campus, Perry Street Preparato- ry Public Charter School and Smothers Elementary School are among the schools identified in the lawsuit as campuses where the parents living outside the District allegedly sent their children. Before this sweep, Racine’s office had slammed 17 adults with similar lawsuits this year. [email protected]

THE REGION

D.C. sues over alleged school residency fraud

Seeks nearly $3 million from 16 suburbanites for children’s city education

BY DANA HEDGPETH

D.C. police have released nearly
400 images of ATV and dirt bike
riders who were illegally driving
the vehicles recently in Southeast
Washington.
Pages of images from surveil-
lance cameras show men — some-
times with masks or scarves cover-
ing parts of their faces — riding the
vehicles. Police said a reward of
$250 is being offered for a tip that
leads to an arrest and conviction of
any of the 394 riders in the images.
The riders were operating ATVs
and dirt bikes on Aug. 25 between 3
and 8:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of
Minnesota Avenue, according to
police.
In a statement, police said the
ATVs and dirt bikes “pose a danger

to pedestrians and other motorists and are illegal to operate on D.C.’s streets.” On Aug. 26, a man was hurt after an altercation with dirt bike riders near 14th and U streets NW. The riders, officials said, swerved around motorists and pedestrians in traffic before heading toward Virginia. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) recently called the Aug. 25 incident “foolish” and “madden- ing.” She said she “doesn’t know why people think it’s fun to terror- ize” pedestrians and other drivers on the road. Riders on ATVs and dirt bikes have drawn criticism from police agencies in the District and around the region. They often ride in large groups and veer in and out of traffic

and sometimes onto sidewalks, do- ing stunts. Many police agencies don’t allow officers to pursue the bikers, saying it carries a safety risk to officers, riders and the public — plus, they’re unlikely to catch them. In the District, former police chief Cathy L. Lanier started a more focused crackdown on the bikes and put out surveillance photos of the drivers. Since Aug. 25, 2018, D.C. police said they’ve arrested 52 people on charges related to ATVs and dirt bikes. Roughly two-thirds of those arrests happened this year, officials said. Anyone with information to identify the riders from the Aug. 25 incident can call 202-727-9099. [email protected]

THE DISTRICT

Police release hundreds of images

showing ATV and dirt bike riders

D.C. POLICE The images from surveillance cameras show some of the men wore masks or scarves on their faces as they operated the vehicles.

Students call out school dress codes they say unfairly target them

HILARY WOODWARD/NATIONAL WOMEN’S LAW CENTER Keontria Wainwright, 17, made a documentary about dress codes and has been calling for more relaxed policies at Capital City Public Charter School.

HILARY WOODWARD Fatimah Fair, then a School Without Walls High senior, said last year that her black friends “get dress-coded way more than my white friends.”

HILARY WOODWARD Nasirah Fair, then a Woodrow Wilson High senior, last year reflected on a dress code policy at her middle school: “Why can’t I wear leggings?”

The Washington Post - 06.09.2019

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