Growing up in the ’90s, goth culture took on a life of its own. From The Crow to The Craft (“I bind you, Nancy, from doing harm!”), there was a subset of youth who dressed in all black and wore heavy black makeup.
In my town, they were simply the “goth kids.” They all hung out under the pavilion in our town’s Central Park. Generally, they were very nice people and didn’t bother anyone. And yet, because of their jarring appearance (to some), they got a bad rap.
Looks like not much has changed in 30 or so years because the “goth” look (or just the idea of wearing all black) is still being targeted as something negative or worth changing “for the better.”
An El Paso school has instituted a new dress code for the 2024-25 school year, banning students from wearing head-to-toe black clothing — because according to the administrators, the look is “associated with depression and mental health issues.”
Charles Middle School principal Nick DeSantis sent a letter to parents this year explaining the new uniform dress code, according to KFOX14.
“We are … eliminating a look that has taken over on campus with students wearing black tops with black bottoms, which has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn,” the letter read.
“What they are not allowing for students to wear clothing that is black from top to bottom,” Norma De La Rosa, the president of El Paso Teachers Association, told CBSTexas. “They can wear black shorts to go to PE. And they can wear it on free dress day, but they just cannot wear it from top to bottom.”
Though standing by the new dress code, De La Rosa admits that the new rule is not the solution to young people’s mental health struggles.
“The colors are not so much for, to prevent or stop mental health issues,” she told the outlet. “You can have the most colorful dress on and still be suffering through depression.”
That is true! From someone who has had bouts of depression as recently as when my daughter was born, you can wear florals, curl your hair perfectly, slap a big, giant smile on your face, and still be severely depressed. So, why the all-black clothing ban?
The El Paso Independent School District, which created the policy, told KFOX14 that the change in uniform policy was meant to “to enhance students’ well-being and sense of pride.”
This decision, carefully considered and approved by the Campus Improvement Team — comprising parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders — aims to foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively showcase the school’s colors and pride.
“The dress code changes were a response to concerns and recommendations brought forward by the stakeholders of Charles Middle School. The school appreciates the community’s feedback and collaboration in making these changes.”
So, wearing all-black clothing means you take less pride in yourself? Someone tell that to Posh Spice!
”Keep in mind that students’ safety is our number one priority, and so anytime, there are concerns that are brought forward about student safety it’s important for us to take those seriously,” El Paso Independent School District Executive Principal, Sarah Venegas, told KVIA7.
She added that the school also removed black pants from the permissible list of clothing, with only khakis or blue jeans allowed.
“Wearing your uniform is a part of the school rules, at every campus,” she told the outlet. “If they’re in uniform violations it can be a disciplinary infraction but that is up to every administrator.”
If you want your students to all dress a certain way, then implement uniforms. Why is just one subset of kids being singled out here? First, let’s get some evidence that black clothing is really causing kids to be depressed. Are you telling me kids’ moods change based on the color of their clothing? Other kids are being hurt by their classmates’ decision to wear black denim with a black top?
Even so, if black clothing was an indication of depression in kids, do these admins really think that forcing them to wear bright yellow or pink is going to switch their chemical imbalances? Sounds like a school that is treating the symptoms instead of the disease. Why don’t we get to the root causes of our kids who are struggling with mental health?
After facing (deserved) backlash, the school admitted they may have added their new dress code policy prematurely. The school district said in a new statement that Charles Middle School had adopted the “proposed modifications” without district sign-off. The backlash led to the school district’s clarification that the middle school’s policy changes had not been approved and were only a “recommendation.”
“Unfortunately, the campus prematurely communicated the dress code change as a final decision rather than a recommendation. We regret the miscommunication, particularly the intent behind the changes,” a statement from the school district read.
The new dress code rule now allows students to wear some black pieces of clothing or full black outfits on specific free dress days, Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, had previously told local media.
