Majority of Viewers Think Cross-Dressing Student Should Have Been Sent Home for Violating School Dress Code
Over one-third of viewers think school's actions were an act of discrimination
Flemington, NJ, November 6, 2009 – A new media study among 303 viewers of a news clip about a cross-dressing student who was sent home because of a dress code violation revealed that half of the viewers (61%) reported that they thought the school’s actions were appropriate.
The study was conducted by HCD Research using its MediaCurves.com® website on November 6 to obtain viewers’ perceptions of the recent story about the cross dressing in school controversy. To view interest curves and detailed results go to: www.mediacurves.com.
Over one-third of viewers (37%) thought that the school’s actions were an act of discrimination and 55% said that if they were in high school they would support having this student attend their school. Furthermore, the majority of viewers (55%) thought that there should be no difference in the treatment of this case and the treatment of students who wear head coverings associated with religious practices.
Among the findings:
Do you think the student should have been sent home from school for this dress code violation?
Do you think that the actions of the school were appropriate?
Do you think that the actions taken by this school were an act of discrimination?
If you were in high school, would you support having this student attend your school?
Do you think that treatment of this student should be any different than the treatment of a person wearing head coverings associated with religious practices?
While viewing the video, participants indicated their levels of agreement by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. The participants were also asked to respond to post-viewing questions.
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net). You can also receive updates from MediaCurves.com by following us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mediacurves and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flemington-NJ/MediaCurves/86691908820
HCD Research is a marketing and communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based research. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company’s web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393. MediaCurves.com® (www.mediacurves.com) is a media measurement website that provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements.
Dress codes are appropriate and need to be inforced. Certainly makes it easier for parents.
This is not deiscrimination. This is just ridiculous that they would even consider him coming to school dressed like that.
This student is not causing harm to anyone and should be allowed to dress as he feels comfortable.
This was about a gender issue, not a dress code. This was a transgender individual. If we were to allow practices of things of this nature, then when would it end. My son/daugher can't where a shirt that has a scripture verse on it. However, there is Gay day celebrated in the schools. Totally not right. It seems that as long as its sinful that its okay, but if it's of a Christian value than it's wrong - backwards.
I think this student intentionally tried to call attention to himself & disrupt the school. I am opposed to female students wearing stilettos in school as well. Uniforms are a great idea. I am a part time university instructor and am apalled at what some students wear to class, and then those same students would be angry if their dress attracted (negative) attention. There is a time and place for everything; school is for learning.
I beleive that people should be the judge of who or what they are. This young person is a high school senior and will soon be out in the "real" wolrd and should be treated as the person that he feels he is and not on what the school thinks that he should be. This is definetly discrimanation in thiis old ladies opinon.
I believe in freedom of expression but not when it is disruptive to others or when it might make that person a target. School is not the place for making controversial fashion statements.
I think the schools have a right to enforce a dress code, but this was a bit different. I'm sure the school has not experienced a student with these specific issues. They need to educate themselves. School 'uniforms' are OK-my children myust wear certain clothes-khaki or black bottoms, red, white, black ,grey tops, observe skirt lenght, etc. It has worked so far. This student has been the victim of a system that does not understand his lifestyle/orientation.
I think schools should have dress codes. I know it was wrong kicking him out, but children are mean and someone could really hurt him for the way he dresses.
The rules and regulations of the school system left a gap by which this student was able to "get by" with his longer than regulation hair, according to the letter of the law. However, now the school system will probably just re-write the dress code to, now, incorporate the length of wigs. I feel the student was aware of pushing the limits of the dress code. I wonder why he did not wear a wig that complied with the,already in place, dress code!! My prejudice, if there is one here, is not with the sexual orientation of the student, but with the attitude by which he challenged an already existing rule of dress code, therefore, perhaps, violating student conduct!!
I think that these students probably should go to another school. It might cause problems with other students and could be disruptive.
i feel he did not obey the dress code because of the wig and thatis the only reason .
There should be some dress code. But, if the person is decent in their dress. There should not be discrimination.
I think that people who are confused about their gender should not be in main stream public schools. They are subject to ridicule and ostrazation as well as confusion as to the proper bathrooms to use. This is not a problem for the school, it's a problem for the student and his parents to solve.
school is 100% right !!!!
Even the girls should not be allowed to wear stelletos, that is rediculious
thats making the school look bad bye him going to school
he should be allowed within moderation to dress as he pleases considerading his gender issuesbut moderation i dont think heels are approrate for females in high school either/it will make him a target too
its not about his choice of dress, its about a distraction to the school itself.. what he chooses to do on his own time is fine but sometimes as in a work environment or school you are there for a purpose not to create disruption or attention.
I think personal opinion over and above standard question/answers should have been part of this survey. Not much is black and white. The gray areas cause alot of misunderstanding and error
Too many people are against school decision , that's why violence in schools increased lately.
Allowing cross-dressing at school would open a Pandora's box of future problems. Students are in school to learn, not to gawk at those few children who are driven by attention-seeking behavior. A school does have the right to establish and enforce a dress code including requiring students to wear uniforms.
School is meant to be a time for learning. This students choice of dress would be a distraction and therefore a detriment to other students education.
Thank you for bringing attention to such matters.Although I believe that schools should have dress codes.I believe they were totally off on this one.If for example if my child had lost there hair due to chemo.I would want them to choose a wig of their choice.
Send This Thread to a Friend
