A Catholic high school in Michigan, US, has yet again made headlines due to its treatment of female students. Dearborn Divine High School came under fire last year when students revealed they had been told that, if their 'dress didn't meet formal dance requirements', they would be handed a 'modesty poncho' to wear over the top. Now, students are protesting against the school's teaching of rape and sexual harassment, which reportedly told girls that the behaviour of men is dependent on the way women choose to dress. Ah, that old chestnut.
Jezebel reported that a student made a recording of the lesson, taught by a Campus Life Minister at the school. The recording has since been played by Detroit's ABC 7 channel, in which the Minister can be heard to say the following:
"Ladies, if you dress provocatively and leave absolutely nothing to the imagination, younger girls look and go, oh my gosh, she’s got plenty of boys around her. Those younger guys go, oh, that’s how you talk about women, that’s how you look at women as an object, something to be dissected."
In response, over 40 girls took to wearing paper target signs on their uniforms, as they said they felt "targeted" and "objectified". Posters were also put up by the students, which read: "Instead of publicly shaming girls for dressing how they want, teach men not to over-sexualize women’s bodies".
One girl's father spoke anonymously to ABC 7, saying that the Minister "was telling a woman, if you’re dressing a certain way, you’re asking for it.”
In a statement, the school said "Our students’ comfort, safety and well-being are paramount to their experience at Divine Child High School, and we are taking all concerns seriously. To that end, we have discussed these concerns with some students and parents and welcome input from all of our stakeholders. School administration has no record of students being suspended, issued detentions or otherwise disciplined as a result of this situation.”
It's sad – but not entirely surprising – that still, in 2019, the onus is still being placed on women in order to avoid sexual harassment and abuse. If schools continue to perpetuate such a dangerous myth, what does that mean for the future? A woman should be able to wear whatever she wants, without living in fear of constant harassment.