Mom says daughter was told to ‘cover up’ while wearing cheerleading uniform at school

PINCONNING, Mich. (WNEM/Gray News) – A high school cheerleader in Michigan was told to cover up when she wore her cheer uniform to school on game day, according to her mom.

Amanda Alburg said she was upset when her daughter Marianah, a varsity cheerleader at Pinconning High School, was told to put pants on.

It’s common for high school athletes to be instructed to wear uniforms to school on game days, regardless of the sport.

Alburg said the cheerleading coach told the cheerleaders to wear their uniform to school on the day of a basketball game.

Alburg believes that, in terms of dress code, if a uniform is appropriate to be worn at a game, it should be OK to be worn at school.

“I called the school office, and I was told that they are to wear pants under their uniforms at all times. [Not wearing pants] is a distraction to the boys,” Alburg said.

Alburg said she doesn’t know where that rule came from.

“I don’t feel that should be a distraction to the boys. Girls have been wearing cheer uniforms issued by the school on game days to school since I was in high school. Never had to wear pants under it,” she said.

Superintendent Andy Kowalczyk declined an on-camera interview, but he provided the following statement:

“Athletic uniforms may not meet school dress code requirements. This is the case for the length of the cheerleading skirts. PHS would not allow students from any sports team to wear uniforms to school that do not meet those requirements.”

Kowalczyk also said in an email that there was never a mention of the uniforms being a “distraction to male students.”

But Alburg said she was told differently.

“I know who I talked to at the school had told me it was a distraction to boys. That is what I was told personally,” Alburg said.

Kowalczyk said the new cheerleading uniforms that were ordered had been discussed, adding that the girls had warmup outfits during football season that they wore to school on game days. He said this hasn’t been an issue during the winter season.

Following this incident, Alburg attended the school board meeting Monday night to ask for a change in the school dress code.

“If they can wear their uniforms that are issued by the school to games, and it’s appropriate, it should be appropriate for school also,” she said.

Several parents from the district attended Monday night’s meeting. One mom called out the double standard between male and female athletes.

“My daughter can’t wear a sports bra to practice because it’s inappropriate, but the gentlemen … can be out at that soccer field or on the basketball court and football field and they have their shirts off. And that is a double standard and it’s a violation of our girls’ civil rights,” one mom said at the meeting.

Some school board members agreed that the school’s dress code needs to be changed.

“The dress code thing has been going for a long time. Do I think it needs to be changed? Absolutely,” said school board president Brad Dubay.

“I wouldn’t mind trying to get those policies addressed and give them a test drive in May, and then we can maybe make some changes if necessary for next year,” said school board trustee Mark Coutcher.

However, exact changes to the policy are expected to take some time.

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