School Confiscates Children’s Coats, Sends Kids Home In The Cold Because The Coats Don’t Conform To School’s Dress Code

A mother in Charlotte, North Carolina, claims that her children came home from school Tuesday without coats because the school confiscated them — and declined to give them back — because they didn’t meet the school’s uniform requirement.

Chanda Spates’ children came home from Ranson IB Middle School in Charlotte without coats on Tuesday, according to WAFF (Huntsville).

“When the children came home from school… they came home with no coats on. So I said ‘where are your jackets? Where are your coats?’ They said ‘the school took them. They took all the students’ jackets during lunch at the cafeteria.’ And that they were told if they wanted their jackets back to have their parents come up there.”

According to WBTV (Charlotte), Ms. Spates claims the reason the children’s coats were confiscated is because they didn’t meet the school’s uniform requirements — a claim the school does not deny.

“I’m upset that you would send children home in that degree weather without a jacket. Unacceptable. Period. Because that shows you’re not looking for the welfare of the children. You’re not having any regard for the children.”

According to Time and Date, the temperature in Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon was somewhere between 41 and 46 degrees.

Ranson IB Middle School is a part of Project L.I.F.T., a public-private partnership that puts under-performing students into public schools that are managed by private organizations, and run like a private school would be.

“We want to transform the way students who traditionally perform poorly in school are educated by ensuring these students are equipped and ready to enter the 21st century and beyond. We will provide them with a strong educational foundation that includes reading and math and culture using a unique approach to teaching and learning that includes bold, innovative strategies.”

That means that even though it’s a public school, it can — and does — require its students to wear uniforms. That uniform includes the color coat the students wear, according to a statement released by school officials in regards to the incident.

“Outer coats are a part of the uniform at Ranson IB Middle School. Until today the policy has not come into question. Coats that did not meet the color requirement for the uniform dress code were taken by an employee yesterday. The employee’s intent was to return the coats to students before they went home. This action did not take place. Denise Watts, Project L.I.F.T. community learning zone superintendent, and Alison Harris, principal at Ranson, both sincerely apologize for this unfortunate situation and the inconvenience this has caused parents. They also apologize for the students who went home yesterday without coats. Staff worked diligently today to return coats to students. Corrective action has been taken with the employee who did not return coats back to students.”

Ms. Spates does not believe that an apology is enough to make up for her children being sent home without coats in mid-40’s temperatures. She wants somebody to pay for this mistake with their job.

“I think that that teacher does not need to be teaching students. Because anyone that would treat a child like that has no business being in charge of students.”

[Image courtesy of: WBTV]