Central CA School Board Rejects Gender Equal Dress Code Allowing Boys To Wear Skirts, Dresses, Earrings

CLOVIS (KCBS) -- A Central California school board has rejected proposed changes to the dress code that would have allowed boys to wear long hair, earrings, skirts and dresses.

The board members voted 4-3 Wednesday night to uphold their decades-old policy.

The Clovis Unified School District acknowledged the possibility of a lawsuit when it turned back the proposal.

The American Civil Liberties Union contends the current dress code violates state gender-rights laws.

Parents like Melissa Fairless voiced their support of the vote, and said they would help bankroll any future lawsuits, according to the Fresno Bee.

"I'm so tired of my rights and my conservative values being trampled on because of this gender equality," she said. "Stand up for what Clovis believes in and say we are going to take this to court and we are going to fight this."

In a blog post, the ACLU charged the district with being "stuck in a gender rut," and said the laws regarding dress codes changed in 2011.

"A school district should be concerned with helping all of its students graduate, not stuck in outdated and discriminatory gender norms."