Watch CBS News

Female Students -- But Not Male Students -- Take No-Cursing Pledge At N.J. School

NORTH ARLINGTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Female students at a Catholic high school in North Arlington, N.J., have taken a no-cursing pledge at the request of school administrators, and some have been questioning why no such demand was placed on male students.

Lori Flynn, a teacher who organized the campaign at Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, told The Record of Woodland Park there is no double-standard. She says that while males weren't asked to take the vow, they have been asked not to swear when girls are near.

Flynn says school officials want ``ladies to act like ladies.'' And Brother Larry Lavallee, the school's principal, said girls have the foulest language.

Many girls said they would try to follow the pledge they took Friday morning, even though they believe it should apply to all students.

Kaitlin McEnery, 16, said the pledge is a ``good idea,'' but believes that ``putting it into action is the problem.'' And classmate Dana Cotter, also 16, thought that male students should join the pledge because ``boys should be more like gentlemen.''

Teachers said they hoped that if the girls focused on cleaning up their speech on campus for a month, their improved manners would take hold and rub off on the boys. They timed the initiative to Catholic Schools Week and the old-fashioned romance of Valentine's Day, promising lollipops as rewards and handing out pins showing a red slash through a pair of pink lips.

``It's unattractive when girls have potty mouths,'' said Nicholas Recarte, 16. A pitcher on the school's baseball team, Recarte said he can't help shouting obscenities from the mound after mishaps, and he didn't expect that to change.

Do you think male students also should have been asked to take the pledge? Please leave your comments below...

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.