Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle school has banned students from wearing solid color T-shirts

WSOCTV ^ | 04/23/04 | WSOCTV

[Pikamax]

Gang Concerns Prompt School T-Shirt Ban

POSTED: 3:22 pm EDT April 23, 2004 UPDATED: 5:42 pm EDT April 23, 2004

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle school has banned students from wearing solid color T-shirts.

The principal at Northridge Middle School sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying that groups of students have begun wearing white and pink T-shirts that could be a system to identify different gangs.

"We're not saying there are gangs at the school, but we are saying there had been some rumors and there were some students who were concerned and some discussions about not coming to school because they didn't feel safe," said CMS spokeswoman Jerri Haigler.

CMS brought in extra police and extra campus security officers to ease concerns.

Students were checked for solid color T-shirts as they entered the building and officials say they found several students in violation of the policy.

The students were given a school T-shirt to wear in class.

Two other schools, West Mecklenburg High School and Olympic High School, implemented similar gang clothing bans at the beginning of the school year.

School officials say the T-shirt ban will stay in effect indefinitely.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

We had school uniforms at my old school and the craziest we got was how to tie your tie. :-)

[A.J.Armitage]

The principal at Northridge Middle School sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying that groups of students have begun wearing white and pink T-shirts that could be a system to identify different gangs.

Thug life yo.

[DJtex]

My sister taught at a middle school. They banned certain colors of shoe strings on the kid's tennis shoes.

[clee1]

Yet another example of government-school idiocy.

[A.J.Armitage]

I wear black T-shirts practically every day, and I'm sure black is a color of a lot more gangs than pink. It seems I must be a gangster, and I've never even been stomped in.

[Arkinsaw]

I love how we teach our kids that its normal and okay for the government to reach into your life to the point where it can tell you what clothes to wear. Good lesson for future citizens of a free republic.

[CharlotteVRWC]

Well,,my 4 year old daughter wants to wear pink nearly every day, and that's not gonna change!

[explodingspleen]

The principal at Northridge Middle School sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying that groups of students have begun wearing white and pink T-shirts that could be a system to identify different gangs. . . . The students were given a school T-shirt to wear in class.

Heh, my first thought is to find out what the school's mascot is, and start a Freeper "gang" with that as it's emblem--make school T-shirts contraband material. >:)

[Lawgvr1955]

And what is to stop the same possible gangs from adopting a ball team t-shirt or a certain patern of t-shirt or whatever mass produced article of clothing as an identitiy symbol? More banned clothing. I guess the only safe thing for the school to do is to ban all clothing.

[jaykay]

I guess the only safe thing for the school to do is to ban all clothing.

Gangs can use tatoos to identify members. Will the principle have tatoo removal person on staff?

[jaykay]

I wear black T-shirts practically every day, and I'm sure black is a color of a lot more gangs than pink. It seems I must be a gangster, and I've never even been stomped in.

Honorary gangsta.

[azcap]

Liberal idiocy at it's best. Here we have a system where gangsters and thugs uniquely identify themselves - no work necesary on the part of adminsitration/law enforecemnt. So now that we know who the trouble makers are...we ban t-shirts - Brilliant! Smashing!

[Oztrich Boy]

Well,,my 4 year old daughter wants to wear pink nearly every day, and that's not gonna change!

Parents, always the last to know about their children's gang involvemnt.

[garyhope]

They'll have to pry my black, Eddie Bauer, pique pocket polo shirts from my cold, dead fingers or off my back!

[raybbr]

Maybe they should all go out and buy this:

[zook]

Mentally impaired principal.

[TaxRelief]

These gangs are "dykes" gangs. "Dykes on Dykes" or something. They have an acronym for it, like DOD.

They target a girl and give her two choices: Join their gang and willingly submit to their sexual advances or be raped. This is based on a firsthand report from NorthwestMiddle/High School in Charlotte

These gangs are a big problem. The only defense the girls have is to join or form a hetero-gang.

It's happening allover the country:

Flint, MI: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1109411/posts

LA: http://www.streetgangs.com/topics/2004/021804lesbian.html

[TaxRelief]

The lesbian gangs also use the name "Dykes Taking Over"

http://www.nbc10.com/news/2857417/detail.html

PHILADELPHIA -- Gang concerns brought parents and students together Wednesday at a West Philadelphia middle school. But the kind of gang may surprise you. The gang is allegedly called DTO (for Dykes Taking Over) and made up of self-styled lesbian students.

Girls at the Turner Middle School allege that the lesbian students are harassing them with gay remarks. The straight students say lesbians are bullying, groping and harassing them in gym and in the girl's bathrooms. Parents of the students say the harrassment must stop before it becomes violent. "I told them, 'No.' And they kept bothering us. (They) kept coming to us asking us to become gay," said Felicia Anderson (pictured, left), a straight student. Anderson, 14, said she doesn't like it and it makes her cry. Wednesday morning, Felicia and her mother joined around 24 other parents and students to meet with school officials behind closed doors for two hours at Turner Middle School. "(I am) very angry. Now my daughter is afraid to come to school," said Tonya Grandy, a parent of a student who said she was harrassed.

Other parents said they were also fed up with the sexual harassment from as many as a dozen 8th-graders at Turner. "She called me last week screaming and hollering and crying because they had her in the gym cornered off, telling her what they were gonna make her do," said Renee Alexander. "Don't nobody wanna be gay. Don't nobody wanna be harassed. Don't nobody wanna be scared to come to school," said Kendra Branch, a student.

State Rep. Ron Waters, who attended the meeting, said all students were reminded about the school's code of conduct. It includes policies against bullying and sexual harassment with consequences. "(You don't have to) accept it as part of growing up. They're violating your right," Waters explained.

Perhaps the most productive moment came when one mother, Barbara Crawford, whose daughter has been accused of harassment asked for help. "Accusations, fighting and all that. Maybe my daughter is causing trouble. Maybe not. I know it's a change and I need help. I'm going to do something about it if I have to walk her to school and pick her up -- or even transfer her to another school," Crawford said. Crawford said she is pleased with how the school is handling this situation.

Philadelphia schools have a zero tolerance policy regarding harassment and bullying. Officials at Turner Middle School declined comment on Wednesday's meeting.

[TaxRelief]

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