Appalled Mother Wants 'Revealing' High School Cross Country Uniforms Banned
SAYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island mother said a revealing style of athletic wear for girls track and field should be banned because it shows too many curves.
A lot of mothers and daughters are cheering her on.
"I turned to my husband and said, why are our girls wearing their underwear?" she told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff.
Karen Garconnier said she was appalled at a recent track meet to see her 14-year-old daughter and her Sayville High School cross-country teammates wearing form-fitting briefs.
"I believe that the line should be drawn at the butt cheek, and should go no further up, and they should have a choice of those spandex shorts or regular shorts," she said.
She's petitioning to ban the brief as an exploitative public display that makes teen girls the target of lecherous looks.
Students like Taylor Maddy agree they ought to have a choice to skip the skimpy spandex.
"Family comes and watches, and I personally feel uncomfortable," she said.
The revealing look is sported at the highest levels of competition because less clothing means more speed. Petition signers say the itsy bitsy bottoms shouldn't even be an option in high school.
"Our girls were handed the heiny hugger, and told this is your uniform, get out there and wear it,"Garconnier said.
The governing body for high school sports permits loose-fitting, boxer type bottoms, or compression style bottoms.
The section governing Suffolk County allows each school district to make its own choice.
Sayville's superintendent said girls may wear a square bottom spandex version, 85 to 90 percent of girls teams in Suffolk compete in smaller hind-hugger style.
"Is it really erotic or sexual for kids to be running? I doubt it," one parent said.
"I think it's normal. Runners want to have clothing as least and tight as possible," another said.
"Then why aren't the boys wearing it? The boys don't have to subject themselves to this," Garconnier said.
Sayville boys compete in running shorts.
The superintendent said he's willing to consider offering girls a third option -- looser shorts -- if there is community support.
Garconnier said she's received so much support, she's taking aim not only at the policy in Sayville, but throughout high school athletics -- except for aquatics, the only sport she agrees a bathing suit bottom is a must.
A statement from the school district said it will continue to monitor the opinions and concerns of athletes and parents with regard to the choice of uniform.
