Carlow’s school denies teachers are uncomfortable around female students in tight clothing

THE PRINCIPAL OF a second-level school in Carlow has denied claims that teachers were uncomfortable with female students in tight clothing.

Ray Murray said PE day was turning into a “fashion show” at Presentation College Carlow and assemblies were being held to ask students to wear their correct uniform.

His comments come as more than 8,000,000 people signed a petition protesting the school, following reports that female students were told not to wear tight leggings or sweatpants as it “distracts” their teachers.

Speaking to Morning Ireland, Murray said he was certain that no such comments had been made and that it was a “shame” that the staff took the brunt of the unsubstantiated rumors.

Murray explained that the school’s uniform regulations hadn’t changed, but students were now coming to school with their PE gear to avoid using the changing rooms due to Covid-19 regulations.

The school’s PE uniform consists of a navy blue polo shirt, a half zip top, and sweat pants, either navy blue or black.

In the past two months, Murray said he and other staff members noticed that uniform regulations were not being followed and that “it was becoming more of a fashion show, more than anything else.”

“Instead of sweatpants, you wear a variety of clothes, plus leggings. It wasn’t a problem with the boys, it was just an argument with the girls, ”he said.

After a discussion between Murray, the vice principal of the school, and the deans of discipline, the decision was made to address the students and remind them of the uniform regulations.

The boys were not spoken to because it was “mainly the girls” who were not wearing the PE uniform correctly, he said.

“We are restricted here in terms of space, in terms of meeting with students. To have that conversation highlighting maybe the wrong use of sweatpants, and people wearing leggings, to be doing that in front of a class of girls and boys, we didn’t want to embarrass anyone either.

“The problem is mainly with the girls.”

He said teachers did not comment on feeling uncomfortable seeing girls in tight clothing and that comments claiming they on social media are “scandalous” and “disruptive to staff.”

“I feel sorry for our staff who have taken the brunt of the unsubstantiated rumors and slurs on social media. That is a misfortune.

“We have deans of discipline who are mothers, many of them have daughters, who were talking to girls and I know that there was nothing inappropriate, incorrect, uncomfortable, that was said to them.

He said that he called all the deans who spoke to the students to make sure they didn’t say anything that could have been “misinterpreted or said wrong.”

“The only thing that was mentioned was telling the students to make sure they are wearing a proper uniform so that it doesn’t lead to awkward conversations regarding their uniform,” he said.

“No one has made a complaint to me about the discomfort of the staff.”

“If a wrong message arrived from any of the assemblies or when listening to it. You know, obviously, we don’t want that to happen, and that’s why I have an open door policy here in terms of talking to kids. “

He said he spoke to several people who were upset in the days after the assemblies and that they may “have received a different message from him or someone else, and obviously, we are concerned about them.”