Beebe students protest dress code after classmate dies on the way home from school

BEEBE, Ark. – Students at the Beebe School District are protesting the dress code policy Monday, looking to pay respects to a student hit and killed by a train on his way home from school Thursday.

Several parents said that after their kids were asked to change, and either did or were given in-school suspension, they checked their kids out and picked them up to come home for the day.

While the school can’t confirm this, those families said the student that day wore pajamas because it was homecoming week, and the theme was throwback Thursday so the boy wore pajamas as in ‘throw back to bedtime’

The school’s made it clear he wasn’t sent home for violating dress code and was checked out of school, but those families say they supported their sons violating dress code in honor of that student.

The school responded with the following statement:

“Beebe School District continues to mourn the tragic loss of one of our students, and we understand that many students are seeking ways to express their grief and honor the student’s memory.   Recently, some students chose to wear pajamas to school, some to honor their classmate and others in what was understood to be a protest of the dress code that does not allow students to wear pajamas.  While we understand that some students did so in an effort to honor the memory of their classmate, the district must continue to enforce its dress code policies consistently. These policies are designed to promote a safe and respectful school atmosphere, and all students are expected to follow them.

No student has been sent home for wearing pajamas but is instead allowed to change into appropriate clothing and remain in school.

If students do not have appropriate clothing, the district has free clothing options available, including access to the “Badger Closet” and available community resources.  We encourage our students to express themselves in ways that comply with school guidelines. The district remains committed to supporting our students through this difficult time, and we are providing counseling services for any student in need.”

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