A Cheerleader Was Told To "Cover Up" Her Uniform So She Didn't "Distract The Boys"

A Michigan mom came to the defense of her daughter after she was told to “cover up” while wearing her cheerleading uniform on a game day — because it did not pass dress code.

Anyone attending public school knows that athletes wear their jerseys to school on a Friday night and cheerleaders wear their uniforms. It’s a pretty well-known tradition across the country. So, what is the big deal here? The Pinconning High School cheerleader’s legs were showing! Oh no! Straight to the principal’s office, missy!

The cheerleader’s mom, Amanda Alburg, told WNEM 5 she was upset when her daughter was told to wear pants. Alburg is questioning why a uniform (picked by the school!) is good enough to be worn during a game but inappropriate for school.

“I called the school office, and I was told that they are to wear pants under their uniforms at all times. It is a distraction to the boys,” Alburg said.

She said that is the conversation she had with a woman last week in the Pinconning High School office after she said her daughter Marianah, a varsity cheerleader, was told to put pants on to cover the bottom of her uniform.

Alburg claimed her daughter was just following the instructions of her cheerleading coach who told cheerleaders to wear their uniform to school on the day of a home basketball game.

“I don’t feel that should be a distraction to the boys. Girls have been wearing cheer uniforms issued by the school on game days to school since I was in high school. Never had to wear pants under it,” she said.

Superintendent Andy Kowalczyk provided the following statement:

Athletic uniforms may not meet school dress code requirements. This is the case for the length of the cheerleading skirts. PHS would not allow students from any sports team to wear uniforms to school that do not meet those requirements.

Kowalczyk also emailed TV5, saying that on the day in question, all cheerleaders were brought into a conference room together at the same time. He said all cheerleaders were wearing sweatpants at this time, and there was never a mention of discipline, adding it was not a discipline meeting.

The superintendent also said there was never a mention of it being a “distraction to male students,” contradicting Alburg’s claim. He said the new uniforms that had been ordered and the warmups were discussed, adding the girls had warmups during football season that they wore during school. He said this hasn’t been an issue during the winter season.

“I know who I talked to at the school had told me it was a distraction to boys. That is what I was told personally. If they didn’t say it to the girls, I’m not sure. My daughter didn’t say that she was told that. But she was told, ‘Put pants on,’” Alburg said.

“If they can wear their uniforms that are issued by the school to games, and it’s appropriate, it should be appropriate for school also.”

Several parents from the district attended the school board meeting to also take issue with the administration.

“My daughter can’t wear a sports bra to practice because it’s inappropriate, but the gentlemen…I can be out at that soccer field or on the basketball court and football field and they have their shirts off. And that is a double standard and it’s a violation of our girls’ civil rights,” one Pinconning mother said at the school board meeting.

Other parents in the Pinconning School district also expressed their concerns about what they are calling a double standard at the high school.

“When I was in school, we all wore uniforms to school for cheerleading for game day. Now all the girls were called into the office, told they had to put pants or leggings on,” Alburg said at the meeting.

Kowalczyk said he thinks what the cheerleaders were told was different from what is being said around the school.

“You know, the meeting was to talk about the new uniforms that are coming and to make sure you have something on and you’re not just wearing the skirt that they have now,” Kowalczyk said.

Parents doubled down on the fact that Kowalczyk and others at the school were missing the bigger point here. Some school board members agreed.

“The dress code thing has been going for a long time. Do I think it needs to be changed? Absolutely,” said school board president Brad Dubay.

“I wouldn’t mind trying to get those policies addressed and give them a test drive in May, and then we can maybe make some changes if necessary for next year,” said school board trustee Mark Coutcher.

In case you need a reminder, school dress codes are often sexist against girls and in some cases racist as well. While many schools are lifting dress codes, others have remained in place even though they’ve been proven to be harmful to students and learning.