The moment the principal informed him of the true reason they had called out his daughter, he saw red. It was unbelievable!
He stood there, listening to his daughter’s educators insult her. However, he was fed up. He could no longer listen to this madness! It was time to take action.
Doing What’s Right
Tony Alarcon was a man who stood up for what he believed in. He was a renowned investment banker and entrepreneur. He knew what he wanted in life, and he wouldn't settle for anything less.
When he heard what his daughter’s school was saying about his princess, he knew he needed to take action. Seeing the tears streaming down her face was the cherry on top. He was a resourceful man, and he would make things right for her.
It Happened A Lot
Demetra, Tony’s daughter, felt absolutely humiliated that day when she got singled out that morning. This wasn’t by any means a unique occurrence, but that did not mean that she did not feel embarrassed.
When getting dressed that morning, she would have never anticipated that her clothes would cause such a controversy. She did not notice anything wrong with her clothes, so what was the problem?
Dress Codes
Schools have varying dress codes, and Demetra’s school allowed students not to wear a uniform. The only requirement that the school implemented was that their clothes were modest.
It was a particularly hot summer’s day, and so Demetra decided to dress accordingly. However, it would be one of the biggest mistakes of her life, as her clothes caused a stir - and caused her own father and the school to engage in a battle of epic proportions.
Attention
A whirlwind of media attention and public outrage erupted almost overnight over Demetra's outfit. But why was that?
Along with all the attention, there was another consequence to her outfit that she didn't anticipate. Moreover, it turned out to be even worse.
Calling Her Out
In Los Gatos, California, there is the Raymond J. Fisher Middle School. It was a hot and humid day that day, with a temperature of 90 degrees. A romper like Demetra's blue one was chosen solely because of its comfort. Yet, something about this outfit made everyone go bonkers.
She received a public call-out from the teacher during the first period. When that happened, the headmaster made the error of dialing her father.
Disbelief
Tony had two choices from the principal. He could do one of two things: either come and get Demetra right away or give her a change of clothes. Tony was in disbelief at what he was hearing.
Demetra's attire today had not caught his attention in any unusual or suspicious ways. She had been dropped off by him that morning, so he would have known if something was off!
Giving Them What They Wanted
Tony, who was furious, made the decision to give Demetra a fresh set of clothes. He searched through her drawers until he found a plain tank top and a pair of denim shorts that he felt were adequate.
His daughter was waiting at the school gate with tears streaming down her face when he arrived. Demetra, though, was still being singled out by the school. Tony's struggle had just started.
Another Problem
The principal once more remarked that Demetra's attire was unsuitable after she had changed out of the problematic clothing and into something different. Tony had now become enraged. What precisely was wrong, he enquired of the school's administration.
Even to show that her shorts were sufficiently revealing her, he forced Demetra to bend. Until they gave him the truth, he wouldn't be happy.
Getting Answers
Tony pressed on to know the real reason why his daughter was being targeted since he was unsatisfied with the school administrator's response.
Although he had a doubt, he didn't believe it was impossible to be true in the modern world. Even though he had anticipated this, he was nonetheless incensed when they came straight out and said it.
Unsatisfied
The school administrator then went on to explain that the dress code violation had nothing to do with modesty and everything to do with length.
She stammered that the romper Demetra had worn and the denim that Tony had picked out didn’t pass the “fingertip test.” But Tony knew that wasn’t the real reason.
Untrue
Tony argued that the other girls in Demetra’s class were wearing similar outfits — he saw them for himself as he pulled into the parking lot.
Why weren’t they being pulled from class for wearing shorts and tank tops? And just what was the “fingertip test” anyway? Tony was becoming angrier by the minute.
Demonstration
The administrator explained that the “fingertip test” is the standard that the pupils of the school had to adhere to. Tony asked Demetra to relax and let her arms fall to her sides so that he could see for himself.
But the shorts’ hem fell just below her extended fingertips. Seeing that the furious father wasn’t going to accept this explanation, she quickly came up with another one. But when he heard it, Tony saw red.
Insinuations
Just exactly what was the school administrator insinuating about his daughter? He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He asked her to repeat herself so that he could process what she’d just said before flying off the handle. Of course, he thought cynically. Of course, the real reason had to do with the boys in Demetra’s class.
A “Distraction”
The administrator regretted the words that came out of her mouth instantly. Ha! Tony thought. Now he knew the real reason why the school had such a problem with the way his daughter dressed.
And he wasn’t going to take it lightly. The reason for his daughter’s tears wasn’t that the school had a certain image to adhere to or that she was dressed immodestly. It was because she could be a distraction to the boys in her class.