About 50 students were recently suspended from Yazoo City High School after dress code violations that some school leaders said was “intentional.”
Ike Haynes, principal of Yazoo City High School, reported to the Yazoo City Municipal School District during its open meeting that between 50 to 55 students were given in-school suspension for wearing hooded sweatshirts to school.
“Several students came in out of dress code, without a uniform shirt on but with hoodies,” Haynes said. “So, we did place them in ISS (in-school suspension) for the day.”
Superintendent Dr. Frederick Hill said he also paid a visit to the high school to address the issue. He asked Chief Cedric Brown, district campus police chief, to share his observations with the school board on his belief that the dress code violations were possibly planned by the students to challenge authority.
“Several students were planning to wear different types of hoodies…because it was said that Mr. Haynes can’t suspend or put everybody in ISS,” Brown said. “It was done, in my opinion, of being intentional to see if (Haynes) was going to uphold the district uniform policy.”
Since the incident, Hill and Haynes have developed a procedure to handle such violations going forward within the district. First, a violation would be documented with a parent contacted. A second violation would result in a day in ISS. A third violation would land the student in out-of-school suspension.
Haynes added that letters explaining the procedure have been sent home to the parents and guardians.
Brown also said security officers will be inspecting students as they enter the high school in the mornings. If a violation, particularly a hooded sweatshirt, is reported, that student will be sent directly to the principal’s office to begin the proper procedure.
