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Girl Scouts advocate for equal tights rights in IPS

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A group of girl scouts is changing a dress code, one pair of tights at a time.

Indianapolis Public Schools has a no patterned or multicolored tights dress code. A local troop of girl scouts decided to change that.

“We were all ranting and raving (about the rule) until my troop leader, my aunt, said ‘You can make a difference,’” Paris Himes said. “We were all dumbfounded and said ‘How can we make a difference? Nobody is going to listen.’”

But they did. The girls went to the IPS school board and presented their case.

One by one, they asked the IPS board members to change the rule.

“I just thought it was unfair that boys could wear whatever kind of socks they wanted to wear and whatever designs but when it came to girls and tights, we were told no,” Himes said.

Last Thursday, the Board voted unanimously to change the rule, allowing multi-color and patterned tights throughout all IPS buildings.

The project to wear different tights was part of the troop’s Silver Award Project.

“I just want to tell someone that if they feel like they can’t make a difference, you can do anything you put your mind to and it just has to take guts. You just have to be focused on it,” Himes said.

The girls accomplished their goal and got the award.

“To see this kind of civic engagement, it does my heart good,” said IPS Board Commissioner Kelly Bentley. “I think you should be very very proud of yourselves. We look forward to seeing those tights this fall.”