FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Ruth Project
https://ruthproj.org/
3 March 2022
Media Contact:
Press@ruthproj.org
Youth in Seminole County Public Schools Stand Against Gender Discriminatory Dress Code Policies
Seminole County, Florida:
On March 8, 2022, students across Seminole County, Florida, will provide public comment at an SCPS school board meeting as part of our initiative for dress code reform. Students will be providing their experiences, perspectives, and suggestions to district leadership regarding dress code reform. In the current dress code policy, there is language that targets items of clothing found in the women’s section of a clothing store. When such provisions are enforced, feminine students disproportionately miss class time to await a change of clothes or other disciplinary action. These provisions foster gender inequity and students are speaking out.
Where:
Seminole County Public Schools, 400 E Lake Mary Blvd, Sanford, FL 32773
When:
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
The school board meeting begins at 5:30 PM EST. Our team of students will be speaking during the public comment section.
Demands:
Our students are speaking to advocate for reform of the following sections of Seminole County Public School’s dress code policy:
- 3b (1)
- 3a (2)
- 3b (2)
- 4b
- 4c
About the Ruth Project:
The Ruth Project is a gender equity advocacy organization, named after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We use mentorship and advocacy to teach students how to rectify gender-discriminatory policies. We currently have initiatives in the United States and Canada fighting for Title IX office reform and school dress code reform.
Our Work in Seminole County:
Our initiative in Seminole County Public Schools has been working for dress code policy reform since August 2020. After successfully pushing district leadership to remove discriminatory prohibitions on “cleavage”, our team continues to work for discriminatory dress code policy reform. In August 2021, our team of students, including Ruth Project Founder and Executive Director Julia Squitteri, Outreach Director Celina Westerberg, and student Jasmine Kaur, provided public comment at a SCPS school board meeting on August 17, 2021. Our team in Seminole County Public Schools is led by Julia Squitteri and has included students from various Seminole County High Schools.
Speaker Requests:
For interview inquiries, please contact press@ruthproj.org.
Social Media:
Instagram: @Ruthproject_
Twitter: @RuthProject
TikTok: @RuthProject
YouTube: Ruth Project
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