Black shoe ban raises eyebrows, ire

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

TOHATCHI — Sometimes it’s all about the shoes.
That’s been the case the past two weeks at Tohatchi High School where several students have come under fire — and in some cases placed on in-school suspensions — for wearing black shoes.

Since the beginning of the school year, the black shoe has been banned at Tohatchi High School as part of a new dress code that was implemented by the school.

Jody Clark, who has two children attending Tohatchi High, said she received a copy of the new dress code before school started, and there was nothing about shoe colors. But on the first day of school, a revised dress code was released and on that one, the only shoes allowed were ones in white or brown.

By that time, she had purchased new black shoes for her children. One of them was reprimanded immediately by his teacher who sent him to the principal where he was first given a warning. For some strange reason, she said, her other son, who also wore black shoes to school, had no problems with the administration.

Eventually, the one who got called on by the teacher received an in-school suspension, requiring him to report too a special classroom for the day instead of his regular classes, and she eventually had to spend another $200 to get her children into compliance.

Ironically, after she did that, the school began looking at its shoe policy and may be in the process of revamping it to allow black shoes, school Principal Ethel Manuelito said.
After several parents complained and brought up questions why black shoes were being banned, Manuelito agreed to take it back to the students and get their input as to what the policy should be.

Thoreau High School implemented the same dress code at the beginning of this year, and the principal there, Monique Siedschlag, said the ban on black shoes was abandoned shortly after the school year began.

Black shoes were allowed as long as they did not contain any drug symbols, like a marijuana leaf, on them, she said.
Manuelito said that’s one of the things that Tohatchi is worried about — black shoes with gang symbols on them. If black shoes are eventually allowed, she said, they will have to be solid black.

Manuelito said the school has also received some complaints from parents about polo shirt colors.
Some students have wanted to be allowed to wear polo shirts in pink, green and purple. Manuelito said it’s doubtful that green will be allowed since that’s a gang color in Window Rock, pink and purple may be. She’s getting input from the students and the student council on that as well.
“We should make a decision on this within a week or so,” she said.