BURBANK : Students Adhering to New Dress Code

A new dress code at John Burroughs High School has been honored by most students, a school official said Thursday.

An estimated 90% of all students are complying with the ban against baggy, oversized clothing, commonly associated with gang attire, Burroughs Dean of Students Lynn Mingori said.

Old rules, changed over the summer, had only prohibited gang members from wearing such attire on campus.

The oversized clothes are a potential problem because they can be used to hide weapons or tagging equipment like spray paint cans, Mingori said.

School officials have limited enforcement of the new ban to notifying students and asking them to comply.

“About 5% is just a little confused and another 5% I’m going to have to talk to one more time before they know we are serious,” Mingori said.

“As soon as I explain the reasons, it’s almost to a kid, ‘Oh, OK,” she said. “We’re doing everything possible not to be ridiculous about this. It’s not that I want them to look like geeks on campus; I would like them to be wearing clothes reasonably well-fitting.”