There are some new changes to the dress code policy for all New York City public school students that parents and students should know about before the school year starts.
The New York City Council approved legislation in July that requires public school dress codes to comply with Title IV, the federal civil rights law that bars discrimination based on gender.
The goal of the new dress code policy is to eliminate "sexist and hetero-normative dress codes," as well as "standards that target girls and students of color," according to New York City Councilmember Althea Stevens, who sponsored the legislation.
Schools must take into account the "diverse cultures, gender expression and body diversity" of students, according to the legislation. Dress codes must be gender-neutral, the bill states.
"This isn't new. When I was in high school, I remember passing back on the dress code and it was restricting young women more than any one else, and there are so many cultures we need to embrace them in an education system," Stevens told NBC New York after the legislation passed.
Before the new legislation, dress code enforcement was left up to individual schools in the city. The changes that will be in effect for the upcoming school year address the reporting of dress codes, as well as enforcement, infractions and consequences when it comes to students not complying.
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The Department of Education will work with the City Council to craft new guidelines for the students' dress code.
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The legislation also included a resolution which encourages the DOE to create a universal dress code for all public schools, which would be the first-ever universal dress code policy for NYC students. However, that part was non-binding and not enforceable, according to the Citywide Council on High Schools.
