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Call 4 Action - Lyford CISD changes dress code policy for breast cancer month
Posted: 10.14.2011 at 11:16 PM
Ryan Wolf

Ryan Wolf is an anchor and reporter for Action 4 News.

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A family's Call 4 Action leads to changes in dress code policy at the school district in Lyford.

"I'm really proud," said Kelly Nino, a Lyford High School sophomore.

But before she celebrated being able to wear pink in all forms of fashion for breast cancer awareness month, Kelly and other students claimed to have run into problems with high school administrators.

"They would be suspended or detention," Kelly's mother Velma Gomez said.

Students were reportedly told they could not wear certain pink clothing accessories like a bandana or shoe laces because they violate the district's dress code policies.

"I was disappointed, angry and a little bit hurt," Kelly explained.

Her mother says the family has been directly impacted by breast cancer.

She supports her kids' right to express themselves by wearing all kinds of pink stuff, including a pink bandana.

"He [asst. principal] said no we couldn't... It was gang affiliated... And I was like really there's a gang that has pink bandanas," Kelly said.

Velma believes the more pink students wear the bigger and better the message of breast cancer awareness gets out.

"His is the time we should all come together ... And be on the same side... And awareness is the best medicine that's out there," she said.

Lyford C.I.S.D's superintendent Eduardo Infante, calls the whole thing one big misunderstanding.

He says the district has long supported breast cancer research.

District-wide fundraisers, like Relay for Life events and t-shirt sales, have brought in thousands of dollars for cancer research, according to the superintendent.

That's why Eduardo believes some dress code policies could be lifted temporarily for the month of October to accommodate students who want to go "all out" in pink.

Kelly says she plans to wear pink bows, a pink head-band, pink nail polish, pink bracelets and now a pink bandana on Fridays.

Velma is amazed how her call to Action 4 News helped to bring about change for an issue so near and dear to her family's heart.

"It happened within 48 hours... And it makes a big deal because small communities like this... Sometimes get forgotten," she said.

Superintendent Infante wants to make it clear; the district never stopped students from wearing pink.

Exceptions have been made for bandanas and other questionable accessories for this month alone and only Fridays.

Mr. Infante says he lost a loved one to cancer and believes this month is the perfect time for students to help get the important message out about breast cancer awareness.

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