Oklahoma school reviews dress code that banned kindergartener's U-M T-shirt
A school district in Oklahoma City says it's reviewing its dress code after making a 5-year-old boy turn his University of Michigan T-shirt inside out because it broke the rules, the News 9 station reported.
Shannon Barton, mother of kindergartener Cooper Barton, said she and her family bleed maize and blue. She told the station the boy wore a Big House T-shirt to school and was told he could wear only T-shirts from in-state universities. Cooper had to turn his shirt inside out on the playground behind a tree, according to the report.
The school district says it's reviewing the dress code, which was enacted in 2005 with the help of an Anti-Gang Task Force. The rules also ban professional team apparel.
Watch a video report below:
News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |
Comments
cameronn1999
Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 10:35 p.m.
Absolutely ridiculous.
SonnyDog09
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 5:11 p.m.
UM gets even better publicity out of this: http://btn.com/2012/08/22/dave-brandon-invites-oklahoma-boy-to-ann-arbor/
towncryer
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
First off, I want to say I think this is completely ridiculous. However, I'm just curious, did the mother try to work with the school/school board and then contact the media when she was not getting anywhere, or was the media called immediately? As I said, I think this is ridiculous, but I hope calling the media wasn't a knee-jerk reaction instead of working with the school first. Probably need to get a helmet now for all the in-coming, lol.
dfossil
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 3:34 p.m.
Wow! Talk about micromanaging! In Kindergarten no less. Too bad, this makes all of Oklahoma look paranoid!
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 5:42 a.m.
Glad to see most comments condemning this needless excess imposed on Oklahoma kids. Way to promote a state's reputation, eh? Anyway - we should find out who the adult miscreants out there are and buy them all Michigan shirts and hats. Maybe Dave Brandon can send Oklahoma an invitation to play real football in the Big House.
chris
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 4:29 a.m.
I found out that the channel 9 station is accepting new u of m swag for cooper...please!!! lets get this kid and his family some new duds!!!!
Madeleine Borthwick
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 12:25 a.m.
Heaven help the Sooners if they ever play at Michigan.....might not be pretty.
Basic Bob
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 10:37 p.m.
Michigan people moving out of state and wanting to change everything so it's just like home. There's a reason you lost your job and had to move to Oklahoma.
J. A. Pieper
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.
Hey, maybe we should send them some t-shirts I have seen kids wear in the AAPS elementary schools: Dumb University Who in the world would make this, and what parent would buy it for their child to wear? Achievement gap anyone?
clownfish
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:23 p.m.
This makes the news, but the OK GOP controlled legislature allowing creationism to be taught in science class doesn't. What does this tell us about our society? So sad.
clownfish
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:16 p.m.
Maybe they confused the lessor rap sheet of UM athletes with that of the Detroit Lions? Not much shorter, so I could see the confusion.
StopCrying
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 1:37 p.m.
No, that is not what happened.
Doug
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
A great majority of educators and administrators make us proud of our schools. It's that small % that becomes an embarrassment to the educational system. This is an example of that small %.
a2girl
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
Maybe aaps should ban scarlet and gray....Seriously, though, this is the definition of bullying. And we wonder why we have a problem with children bullying other children. They learn it from adults.
YpsiGreen
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
Maybe this is why Nebraska left the Big 12? ;-)
Sparty
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:17 p.m.
Ah yes, a Republican State - party of small government, fewer regulations. The deep, deep, South. Yee Haw. Poor Kid was probably confused, scared, and not aware of what he did wrong. This was wrong on so many levels.
Arborcomment
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 10:17 p.m.
Quick to spout - knows little about. Here's a quiz. A) Red State? Check. B) Oklahoma City - republican mayor? Check. C) School board? Near as can be determined, 6 of the 8 board members are democrat. Check. Guess which entity is responsible for setting this policy? (C) Check.
raberwhitetail
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 10 a.m.
Poor sparty....everything is either racial or Republican to him....what a shame.
jcj
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 1:09 a.m.
Or liberal schools expelling 1st graders for drawing a gun!
ferdcom
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.
Not much different from liberal school systems suspending first graders for bringing one inch long GI Joe "guns" to school.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:53 p.m.
Aye, Harry, it's all they have. The party of tolerance, you know.
HB11
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:25 p.m.
You need to get a map. Oklahoma is a plains state, but I suppose name calling and mimicking should be expected from liberals.
treetowncartel
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:05 p.m.
Hoke should offer up a scholarship to this kid for team 146 right now.
BernieP
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:01 p.m.
... and a 5-year old boy lost a few years of innocence in the process. Very very sad.
obviouscomment
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 7:52 p.m.
I'm at a loss at to what any team apparel has to do with being in a gang...I guess we are all in gangs...
jns131
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
I have mine, but it says EMU, am I in?
ferdcom
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:17 p.m.
Apparently gangs in the schools were adopting athletic team shirts as gang ID to get around previous school rules. This is just another zero tolerance policy carried to extremes.
OLDTIMER3
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:06 p.m.
Look out the notorious MICHIGAN GANG is in town. Of all the things to worry about.NOT
SurlyCommenter
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 7:32 p.m.
I think the conservatives in Oklahoma just don't like the color blue. As someone who grew up in the state, I am allowed to make fun of it, but you other commenters better watch what you say! (Just kidding.)
G. Orwell
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 7:19 p.m.
This is what a nanny state looks like. And we are partially to blame for putting up with it.
jcj
Wed, Aug 22, 2012 : 1:07 a.m.
Maybe more than partially.
SEC Fan
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
so which gangs are wearing college Ts from non-Oklahoma schools? Move over Crips...The Notre Dame Nasties and The Mississippi Mischiefs are in town...
a2ta
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.
Better send the kid a Sparty on t-shirt!
jns131
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
I hate to say it, when I heard this? I wanted to send this child every college wear T shirt this state has just to show an anti OK message to that school. Goodness gracious.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.
Dressing a kid that way would be child abuse.
Sparty
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.
Right on ! :)
misty80
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 5:59 p.m.
This is so ridiculous!!! Perhaps the colleges in Oklahoma are feeling jealous of all the outside influence of other colleges! Kindergarten, seriously, there isn't other issues the anti gang task force could focus on. Poor kid, what a terrible way to be treated for just wearing a Michigan shirt
getmoney
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 5:41 p.m.
Kindergarten clothing dictated by the school's anti-gang task force? The OKC is making the D look tame....
Itchy
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 11:10 p.m.
Is this like meatless Monday?
Lisa
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 5:25 p.m.
Really? I mean come on now...I have family that lives in Oklahoma and I have sent them numerous U of M things, as I have also brought back many things from Oklahoma for my own child to wear and may I add he DOES wear them to school. I have never heard of any of these kids getting into trouble for wearing other teams clothing. My god, they are just kids. Its not like Michigan and the Sooners will ever play each other at either fields....so what is the big deal?
ScioReader
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 5:05 p.m.
Perhaps the Athletic department should send this kid a truckload of UM attire so he has plenty to wear outside of school!
treetowncartel
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 4:51 p.m.
Makes me think of Merle haggard and "Okie from Muskogee" Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear; Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen. Football's still the roughest thing on campus, And the kids here still respect the college dean