Principal of the Elmore Stoutt High School, Ms Vanessa K. Garraway have moved to further clear the air over social media allegations that the institution sent home over some 70 girls for uniform violations.
While the Principal has already denied claims, commenting directly on the image that sparked the online uproar, Ms Garraway said that the skirt in the photo appeared to not have any uniform violations.
"I couldn't recognize who we were talking about, who's photo that was, I can't even say that that was a child that was a part of the infraction list," Principal Garraway told Angelle A. Cameron on the Tuesday, September 17, 2019, edition of the 'My BVI Radio Show'.
However, the student's relative, Esther N. Fraser who made the post and subsequently spoke to Virgin Islands News Online indicated, that was not the case.
"The student [name withheld] is a senior who wore the same skirt last week and was not told at any point that it was inappropriate. Yesterday [Monday, September 16, 2019], a teacher told her she had to go home because the back was too short," she told VINO.
The relative also raised fears of victimization should the identity of the student in the viral photo be made public.
Rogue teachers sending students home?
With Principal Garraway denying that students were sent home and the relative maintaining her story, are rogue teachers at the ESHS making above board disciplinary actions against students?
According to the Principal, "Some of the girls knew that they had an infraction, they actually sat there, they ripped out their hems and some of them even when they ripped out their hems, [it] still wasn't long enough," however, she said nobody was sent home.
Further, the Principal said the school has also recorded cases where students were caught red-handed changing uniform after arriving at school. She revealed also that in some cases, parents admitted that due to financial constraints, they could not afford to fix uniform infractions when sanctioned.
Ms Garraway said in those cases, formal communication can be made so that the school will be aware of the situation. "Send us a letter, let us know what's going on, and then we can issue a pass for the young lady," she said.
Even without formal communication, the Principal noted that once conversation is made with the school, students will still be able to participate in class and will be allowed to clear security at the gate.