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Florida to Ban Saggy Pants in School?

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on April 14, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Fed up with exposed underwear, schools across the nation have banned students from wearing saggy pants--a fashion trend that is thought to have started in jail.

Following in Arkansas' footsteps, the Florida House of Representatives is now considering a mandatory statewide saggy pants ban, and the NAACP isn't happy about it.

Florida State Senator Gary Siplin (who is black) has been trying to to pass a Florida saggy pants ban for the last three years, calling them distracting and inappropriate for school.

The proposed law exacts punishment in the form of a verbal warning, and then escalates into temporary removal from extracurricular activities and eventually in-school suspension, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The idea is to punish the child, but to also keep him in school.

The NAACP and other critics of the saggy pants ban point to the fact that every school in the state has a dress code that prohibits underwear exposure, notes the paper. They also consider the ban discriminatory, effectively targeting young black males who will have less of an incentive to go to school.

The fact is that courts across the nation have repeatedly upheld the right of schools and states to enact in-school dress codes that are reasonable and relate to both safety and the creation of a conducive learning environment.

There's no doubt that saggy pants--also worn by many a white suburbanite--have caused problems in schools. Not only have they allowed students to hide contraband, but they create a tripping hazard. Exposed underwear is also incredibly distracting in a classroom environment.

So if the Florida House passes the saggy pants ban, residents should expect it to stay.

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