Portland's King Middle School to review dress code after protest

PORTLAND — A Maine sixth grader has prompted her middle school to review its dress code after her Instagram posts triggered widespread attention.

Molly Neuner tells WSCH-TV she believes the dress code at Portland’s King Middle School is “unfair and sexist.” The code prohibits students from wearing “short or tight-fitting skirts or shorts” and also outlaws “thin-strapped tops.”

The 11-year-old says sixth graders were told such outfits could be a “distraction” to boys.

Hearing about the code, the girl’s mother showed her the #iamnotadistraction hashtag, and Molly showed up at school in a thin-strapped tank top with the hashtag scrawled on her arm.

The protest caught on with other students and brought national attention.

District Superintendent Xavier Botana says the district is considering “smart adjustments” to the dress code.