Bad girls do it well': Texas high school taking heat for 'over-sexualized' dress code video

The principal of a Texas high school has apologized over a video aired to the entire student body, showing female students violating the school's dress code. Critics are calling the clip sexist and 'over-sexualized' due to its content.

What did the video show?

Staffers at Marcus High School in Flower Mound created the clip, which showed several female students parading the halls in short shorts while the song "Bad Girls" from M.I.A. played in the background.

The lyrics repeat, "Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well" while the camera zooms in on the girls' legs. The young women are then filed into a detention room marked "Dresscode Violators" where they're told to echo a teacher saying over and over, "I will not wear athletic shorts. I will not wear athletic shorts."

Student Catherine Moring called the school out on Twitter the day it was played, saying "Today my school was shown this video. So sad how ONLY girls are shown as the violators. I understand why my school has a dress code, but what about the boys who wear shorts, or show their shoulders? It's 2018...Why are we still over-sexualizing teen girls?"

Today my school was shown this video. So sad how ONLY girls are shown as the violators. I understand why my school has a dresscode, but what about the boys who wear shorts, or show their shoulders? It’s 2018...Why are we still over-sexualizing teen girls? pic.twitter.com/fCXymYAIEG

— cat (@catmoring) August 16, 2018

Moring later told WFAA-TV, "This is oversexualization. We're not okay with this, we're not going to just let it happen and sit on the sidelines."

Fellow student Nicole Hollowell added, "They were zooming in on girls legs in the video. They were showing up close of the girls in shorts. They were doing this at the same time saying shorts were too sexual to be worn at school."

How did the school respond?

Principal Will Skelton apologized with a statement to parents posted on the Marcus High School website.

"I apologized to our students regarding this issue today, but wanted to reach out and apologize to parents as well," Skelton said. "I'm a firm believer that when you make a mistake, you own it, you apologize, and you make it right.

"Yesterday we showed a dress code video that featured only female dress code violations, and was accompanied by a poor song choice. Construction in and around the campus prevented us from holding student orientation, which is typically accompanied by a fashion show that demonstrates what to wear, and what not to wear.

"We believed a video would be a good way to replace the fashion show, but this video absolutely missed the mark. Please accept my sincere apology for not ensuring our video achieved its intended purpose — to remind ALL students of our dress code expectations."

Anything else?

Moring praised Principal Skelton's response, tweeting, "I have so much respect for @Marcus_HS principal Mr. Skelton. Today he had an important conversation with me about the issues in the video, and was fully understanding of where the offended female student body was coming from."

I have so much respect for @Marcus_HS principal Mr. Skelton. Today he had an important conversation with me about the issues in the video, and was fully understanding of where the offended female student body was coming from.

— cat (@catmoring) August 17, 2018

She added, "Not only that, but he issued an apology to not only the students, but to parents as well. He made it clear this issue was a MISTAKE, which doesn't define marcus as a whole..."

Not only that, but he issued an apology to not only the students, but to parents as well. He made it clear that this issue was a MISTAKE, which doesn’t define marcus as a whole. This problem is beyond just the four walls of my highschool.

— cat (@catmoring) August 17, 2018