A high school principal said girls shouldn鈥檛 wear leggings unless they鈥檙e a size 0 or 2
"Even though you are not fat, you look fat鈥�
"Even though you are not fat, you look fat鈥�
"Even though you are not fat, you look fat鈥�
The principal of Stratford High School in South Carolina was caught on tape saying girls who weren鈥檛 a size 0 or 2 鈥渓ook fat鈥� when they wear leggings. She has since held a school assembly to talk to students, insisting she didn鈥檛 mean any offense.
Parents confirmed to that it was Principal Heather Taylor who made the comments, and she said them during a meeting about appropriate attire for students under the school鈥檚 dress code. Here鈥檚 what she apparently said, according to , and you can hear a recording of part of the comments on .
鈥�(Leggings are) meant to wear underneath a long shirt that covers your heiny, or a long sweater of some type, or a dress. It is not meant to be your actual pants, and if you have a shirt that comes to here, then you are showing everything. Yes, everything. The sad thing is with that, ladies — if someone has not told you this before, I'm going to tell you this now — unless you are a size zero or a two, and you wear something like that, even though you are not fat, you look fat.鈥�
Principal Taylor鈥檚 remarks were met with a wave of backlash, and the school鈥檚 from parents and onlookers calling out Principal Taylor for her offensive comments. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a size zero and I kind of felt targeted because of my size,鈥� Allison Veazey, a sophomore at Stratford High, told WCBD-TV.
According to , the school鈥檚 dress code says leggings, tights, yoga pants, and spandex can be worn under clothing that covers the body to mid-thigh, meaning leggings can鈥檛 be worn as pants. But the dress code doesn鈥檛 specify anything about size.
Principal Taylor released the following statement about her comments, according to :
"Yesterday and this morning, I met with each class of the Stratford High School student body. I addressed a comment made during a 10th grade assembly and shared from my heart that my intention was not to hurt or offend any of my students in any way. I assured them all that I am one of their biggest fans and invested in their success. After speaking with our students and receiving their support, I am confident that, together, we are ready to move forward and have a wonderful year. Stratford High is a very caring community, and I want to thank all of our parents and students who have offered their support to me and provided me with an opportunity to directly address their concern. I am very proud to be a Stratford Knight."