Texas school bans all-black clothing, claims it’s associated with ‘mental health issues’

An El Paso, Texas, middle school has banned students from wearing all-black clothing, claiming that the color is “associated with depression and mental health issues.” According to local news station KFOX14, Charles Middle School sent parents a letter informing them that the school’s uniform policy would no longer allow students to wear all-black clothing. Instead, the school’s dress code was rewritten to only allow students to wear khakis or blue jeans, with black or green polos and sweaters.  The changes were necessary to  “[eliminate] a look that has taken over on campus with students wearing black tops with black bottoms, which has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn,” the letter reads, according to KFOX14. “What they are not allowing for students to wear clothing that is black from top to bottom,” Norma De La Rosa, the president of the El Paso Teachers Association, said in a clarifying statement. “They can wear black shorts to go to PE. And they can wear it on free dress day, but they just cannot wear it from top to bottom.” The policy was met almost immediately with backlash from parents,...