TUNICA COUNTY, Miss. — Students at Rosa Fort High School walked out of school in protest over dress codes Wednesday morning, which led to some parents being booked into jail.
Students, who were outside the school clapping and chanting, said they were protesting after they were told by school officials they can’t wear colored shoes to school because they are gang related.
School and district officials directed questions to the district superintendent, who was not available Wednesday morning.
Wednesday evening, WREG learned two parents have been arrested and face charges related to trespassing during the protest. Law enforcement officers said more people were expected to be arrested by the end of the day, but we haven’t heard whether that happened.
Some of the parents allegedly took their students off the campus without permission, and the principal decided to press charges.
“They walked out today and I was there with them. It landed me over here in the county jail,” Ashley McKay told WREG. “Walked students back to campus and thought this was a done deal, then I get home and I find out I’m getting arrested for charges filed at 1 p.m. today.”
She’s charged with trespassing, harassment, disturbing a public school and contributing to child delinquency.
According to the district’s 2017-2018 student handbook, students can only wear sold black, brown or white shoes with matching socks, stockings or tights and shoestrings.
In addition, the district has a gang activity and association policy that states, “The use of hand signals, graffiti, or the presence of any apparel, jewelry, accessory, or manner of grooming which, by virtue of its color, arrangement, trademark, symbol, or any other attribute that indicates or implies membership or affiliation with such a group, presents a clear and present danger.”
It continues by saying, “The district shall enforce the above rule and attempt to ensure that any student wearing, carrying, or displaying gang paraphernalia or exhibiting behavior or gestures which symbolize gang membership and/or participation in activities which intimidate or affect the attendance of another student shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.”
WREG checked and found the online student handbook, which clearly says Rosa Fort High students can’t wear colored shoes this school year, but parents say
they didn’t know about the change.
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