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Code of conduct bill could restrict what parents wear at their child's school

Posted at 9:06 PM, Jan 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-23 23:50:56-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn (WFTV) — Most schools have some kind of dress code, but a proposal would also force parents to adhere to a code of conduct. It would require school districts to create policies for adults when they set foot on school grounds.

On any given day lawmaker at the capitol will be voting on a bill that would give parents rules at school, it’s a code of conduct so that means anything from how they dress to how they talk.

"I had an elementary school principal tell me that someone came onto the campus, came into the office and still had their sleep wear on, but when I say their sleepwear, it was lingerie and their body parts were exposed," said State rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis)

Parkinson says adult behavior at schools needs to change.

"I had another one tell me about someone coming in smelling like drugs," said Parkinson.

The Memphis lawmaker says when parents pick up their kids from school they could notice a different set rules posted by the doors.

Parkinson is planning to introduced a bill that would require school districts to create a set of rules and policies for adults visiting school campuses.

The policies will be placed at all school entrances and parents will also receive knowledge of the code of conduct when they register their kids.

"We’re not just talking about parents, we’re talking about this code; this minimal based code of conduct will cover everyone educators, students, vendors, visitors, speakers, anyone comes on that campus, sets foot on that campus," said Parkinson.

Lawmakers will ask the school boards to create their own set of rules and it would be up to the districts to decide what goes into the polices and how to enforce them.