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Presentation College Principal Carlow Ray Murray has described comments on social media about the school as scandalous and damaging to staff.
Murray said it was not true that students were asked not to wear tight leggings or sweatpants.
He said that, at the assemblies, the staff had only reminded students to abide by the school’s dress code and to wear the PE uniform correctly.
He said that he had spoken with the students with concerns and to dismiss the unfounded claims that had been made and reassure them.
It comes as more than 5,000 people signed a petition criticizing the high school after it was reported that female students were told not to wear tight clothing.
Dozens of parents of students attending Presentation College Carlow expressed their anger on social media.
The school principal, Ray Murray, said today that nothing “inappropriate, incorrect or uncomfortable” was said to female students at a school assembly about uniform regulations, though he conceded that some students were upset afterward.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Murray said the school’s uniform regulations had “not changed at all”, despite reports to the contrary, and said he was “puzzled and upset” by some “scandalous comments” on social media, which he said was detrimental to staff.
Mr. Murray explained that he and other staff members had noticed that on physical education days when students are allowed to use physical education equipment, students, particularly girls, were not following school regulations and “was becoming more at a fashion show “than anything else. .
It was decided to hold assemblies to give students “a reminder of what the full school uniform regulations are.”
He said that the boys were not spoken to because the problem was mainly with the girls and defended this decision, saying that space was limited and that the teaching staff did not want to embarrass the girls.
He said their PE uniform was not being worn properly, particularly in place of tracksuits, with some wearing “a variety of clothing, particularly leggings.”
She said that no comment was made about teachers being uncomfortable with the clothes girls were wearing and that the notion that “girls can’t wear tights because …” was wrong.
“If the wrong message comes through, we obviously don’t want that to happen and I have an open door policy for talking to children,” he said.
He said that he had called some parents to clarify what happened and allay any concerns, in addition to talking to people who were upset.
Murray said that people would not want to come to the school if there was a spirit of “body shame to girls” and, he said, feels for the staff who “have taken the brunt of the unsubstantiated rumors” on social media.
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