Teen sent home over 'modest' outfit that a teacher found uncomfortable

A Canadian high school senior found herself at the center of a school controversy after her outfit—a white turtleneck under a black knee-length dress—was labeled "awkward" by school staff. The student, 17-year-old Karis Wilson, was removed from class at NorKam Senior Secondary School in Kamloops, British Columbia, and ultimately left school in tears. Her father, Christopher Wilson, spoke out about the incident in a Facebook Live video (since deleted) that quickly gained traction online.

"Today my daughter was sent home for wearing clothing that made her female teacher and her male student-teacher 'feel uncomfortable,'" Wilson wrote on Facebook, according to Daily Mail. "Centered out in front of her class and told she needs to leave class and brought her to the VP’s before she went home in tears. After asking her how she would like me to handle it she said she wanted to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen to the students that come after her. Please stand with Karis and [me] and make sure that those involved are held accountable and that this never happens again."

Wilson included a photo of the outfit his daughter had worn and expressed how disheartening it was to see this happen in Canada. He added, "I'm frustrated, I'm hurt, I'm disappointed in the system. I'm pretty upset at this happening [in today's world]."

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After showing the outfit photo to school leadership, Wilson said the vice-principal admitted she didn’t personally find the clothing inappropriate.

"If you're a teacher and you're distracted by clothing your students are wearing, then you are in the wrong profession," Wilson said during his livestream. "Maybe you should try something new." In an interview with CBC's Radio West, he elaborated on the events of the day: "[Karis] was told that it could possibly make the male student teacher feel awkward and it could make [her female classroom teacher] feel awkward since it reminded her of a lingerie outfit," he said. "It's actually a very modest outfit when you actually look at it... I think the initial comments were based on the fact that it had lace."

Wilson described how shaken Karis was by the experience. "[We] kind of saw the aftermath of her coming home in tears and just really broken up, confused," he said. "There was a female who was singled out because what she's wearing could make someone in a position of power over her feel uncomfortable. And the more you think of it, the more you say it, the more you understand that this is absurd. It shouldn't happen."

Support for Karis began pouring in after the incident. Women on social media posted photos of themselves in similar outfits, and Karis's classmates organized a walkout the following Wednesday.

Typical classroomCanva

Students held signs with messages like: "I am not my dress," "My education is more important than what I wear," and "Am I distracting you with my midriff?" According to Wilson, school administrators including the principal, vice-principal, and the school district superintendent have all engaged with the family about the matter. He added, "If there's a silver lining to this, [after feeling] that centered out and awkward, [it's to] have everyone stand up, stand beside you and say, no, this isn't OK, we're with you. We could definitely learn some lessons from it. I know for a fact that they're taking this very seriously and it might be an opportunity to promote learning for the teachers as well."

The episode raised tough questions about dress codes, double standards, and the kinds of messages schools send to young women. For Karis and her family, it was less about one outfit and more about standing up for dignity and fairness in the classroom.

This article originally appeared 4 years ago.