'Droopy Drawers' May Result In Suspension

Senator Wants Focus 'On Blackboard, Not Backboard'

POSTED: 5:32 pm EST January 9, 2008

UPDATED: 6:30 pm EST January 9, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Youth who let their drawers droop to expose underwear, G-strings or worse at school would be get a verbal warning after a first offense but face suspension if they keep doing it under a measure that cleared a Senate committee Wednesday.

The Prekindergarten-12th Grade Education Committee unanimously approved Sen. Gary Siplin's "pull up your britches" bill (SB 302). It next will go to the Senate floor after the Legislature convenes its regular annual session in March. "We want to make sure the focus is on the blackboard and not the backboard," said Siplin, D-Orlando. "You can't apply for a job with your pants sagging. You can't go to college with your pants sagging and do well."

Siplin has tried for several years to get such legislation passed without success. Last year, he dropped a provision that would have jailed repeat offenders.

This year's version calls for a warning and phone call to parents the first time a student exposes his or her sexual organs, even if covered by underwear, in a vulgar or indecent manner. A second offense would result in a three-day suspension and additional violations would draw 10 days.

An identical House bill (HB 335) has not yet had a committee hearing. Gov. Charlie Crist was noncommittal on the measures. "Style is not my issue," Crist said. "I have heard of it. The good news for me is that I really don't have to opine on them until they get to my desk."

Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, questioned the bill's lack of any definitions for what is vulgar and indecent. Siplin replied by reciting the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous comment that it's hard to define pornography but "I know it when I see it."

A Senate staff report noted the bill might be open to a First Amendment challenge if construed as limiting students freedom of expression. Courts, though, also have upheld the authority of school officials to control student conduct. Some say the saggy pants fad began in jails where inmates are not allowed to have belts for safety reasons.

There was a time, not so long ago, when parents would paddle the bottom of a child who would go to school or anywhere out in public, dressed in a manner that would reflect poorly or disrespectfully upon the family or was in any way an assault on good taste or community standards.

It's a very sad sign of the times when this sort of thing has become so very commonplace that legislation is even considered as a necessary step in order to deal with it.

Another FR thread that may be of interest:

Family Of 6 Arrested Over Droopy Jeans

We need a BBB policy. No showing of boobs, bellies, or butts.

It appears that the problem is even more widespread, if you'll pardon the pun, than the 3B's. From the article:

This year's version calls for a warning and phone call to parents the first time a student exposes his or her sexual organs, even if covered by underwear, in a vulgar or indecent manner.

(Emphasis added)

Although I'm not sure how it's possible for children to expose their sexual organs in a 'decent' manner in a school setting......

Found this interesting comment about the Dallas City Council trying to make the same ban.

Besides, legislating against tastelessness and stupidity doesn't have a promising history. If it did, then surely we wouldn't have had leisure suits in the 1970s. But here's something that may help the Dallas council come to terms with saggy pants: Cops love them. Really. Reason: Criminals who wear droopy drawers regularly fall down when running from the police.

It happened not long ago in Hendersonville, N.C., where a 24-year-old man tried to rob a Subway sandwich shop by vaulting over the counter. Alas, his saggy pants tripped him up. Then he took off running, as the police were called, but didn't get far. The cops found him hanging upside down, his pants tangled in a picket fence.

"He didn't make a good jump," the Hendersonville police chief told the Wall Street Journal. "The only reason we caught the guy was because his pants fell down." He added, "He was wearing underwear, thank goodness."

I regularly visit a small neighborhood Cigarette and Snack shop. Many of its staffers are of Grandmother Age. Most staffers walk to work. The Neigborhood is very racially mixed.

I’ve witnesed 2 “de-pantsings” of neighborhood kids by a store staffer, there. Each time the Adult Customers cheered the Staffer.

I’ve never seen, or heard of. a “pantsing victim” re-entering that shop with his Underwear Showing.

i LIKE that store!

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