Forney ISD parents, students ask school board to reconsider recent dress code changes

FORNEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Parents and students showed up at Forney ISD's school board meeting Monday night to ask board members to reconsider the recent changes to the district's dress code.

Brooklynn Hollaman addressed the school board in a dress she will not be allowed to wear in school next year.

Last week, the incoming Forney ISD 10th grader started a petition asking the school board to reverse its decision.

"It started off with a few hundred signatures and then it started getting 1,000, 2,000, eventually 5,000," Hollaman said.

In a recently released YouTube video, the district it announced it's no longer allowing clothes with hoods or dresses, skirts or skorts for 5th through 12th graders to boost student self-esteem and bridge socio-economic differences.

"These new rules aren't going to fix anything, they're too extreme," Hollaman said

During public comment, about a dozen parents and students also weighed in.

"This right here is not the problem in our schools," one said.

"The premise that we need to be more professional, the conclusion therefore ban skirts and dresses do not match," another said.

"Some of you here are wearing skirts and dresses and it's almost like your narrative doesn't fit reality," another told board members.

No one spoke publicly in support of the dress code. The school board declined to comment, but CBS 11 was told they're taking comments into consideration.