IS this really inappropriate for a jr high school kid to wear to school?

[Igel]

82. Tough call.

You need to say more context.

Students come in almost daring you to punish them. They try to go right up (and a bit over) the line just to tweak the teachers' noses. It's the Nike shirts redux: "Go hard or go home", "Don't pump make the money shot", "accomplished in all positions", etc. The sexual innuendo is blatant--but it's still innuendo. If you don't nail them, then the meaning is permitted; if you do, then they innocently protest, "What do you mean? What could 'go hard' mean except 'really try'?"

If you don't enforce the rules when they're fairly silly to enforce, then you've basically failed the estoppal test: You've said that something isn't covered by the rules, something that is indistinguishable from something you want covered by the rules. Next time it's harder to enforce the rules to exclude what you want excluded and you're set up for a repeat, one that'll pry open the rules a bit more. So you have to be unreasonable and unreasoned at times. It's annoying for all.

It's not even the intent of the "offender" that matters. It's what others will make of the slight and partial bending of the rules.

We have a "no scruff" policy for guys. That includes facial hair of all sorts, without a doctor's note. I've sent guys to be shaved. And invariably, the guy I'm sending, one who hasn't shaved for a few days, will point to a guy just slightly less scruffy who probably shaved last night. "Why aren't you making *him* get a shave?" Well, if a bit of scruff is okay, why not more? And if not shaving for two days is okay, why not 3? If 3, why not 4?

The worst rule we have is the "no spaghetti strap" rule because it's undefined. What's the maximum width for a spaghetti strap? Does that width have to be for a minimum of 1" or 4"? Or some other length? (Okay, there are worse. "Don't show tattoos." So a girl comes to class with a tattoo on her cheek. What do you do, require a burqa? Send her home on permanent suspension? Put masking tape over the tattoo?)