School sparks outrage with controversial dress code

A US high school has faced massive backlash after introducing a new dress code that targets parents, implementing rules on what they can and can't wear.

The James Madison High School in Houston, Texas, sent home a letter in early April outlining the new expectations for parents, including a list of clothing items that would be banned from school grounds.

Outlawed outfits included leggings and low-cut tops, overly ripped jeans, short shorts, short dresses and, crazily enough, pyjamas.

Parents were also warned they would be barred from entering the school if they were wearing a satin cap or bonnet, shower cap or hair rollers of any kind.

The letter, written by principal Carlotta Outley Brown, explained the new rules were being introduced to set a good example for students by encouraging parents to wear "appropriate attire" when visiting the school.

“We want [your children] to know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate for any setting they may be in,” she wrote.

“This is a professional educational environment where we are teaching our children what is right and what is correct or not correct.”

Unsurprisingly, parents weren't impressed with the new rules, many questioning how their clothes at school pick-ups and drop offs had any impact on their children's education.

Others challenged Brown's particular banning of headwear such as satin caps and bonnets, which many African-American women wear to maintain and protect their hair between styles.

"Having a wrap on your head is not offensive," Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, told the Houston Chronicle.

"It should not be controversial.”

Parents reported having been turned away when trying to collect their children from school or enrol them in classes, many claiming it was because they were wearing headscarves or bonnets.

“I really think it was discriminatory, the language that was used. It was demeaning," said Tomiko Miller, mother to a James Madison student.

"If it’s misty outside and I have a hair bonnet on, I don’t see how that’s anyone’s business.”

Another mother claimed she was told to go home and change after arriving at the school in a t-shirt dress, despite the fact the dress passed the fingertip test.

Brown previously gained media attention in 2015 when she was awarded $100,000 USD by Ellen DeGeneres for her work with disadvantaged students.