‘Form of harassment for a teacher’: Chilliwack trustee defends school dress code

CHILLIWACK (NEWS 1130) – A Chilliwack school trustee is standing by comments he made earlier this week, supporting a dress code for his school district.

At a school board meeting on Tuesday night, Darrell Furgason, who is a former teacher, said there should be a dress standard so students can focus on their minds rather than their bodies.

“Girls with cleavage exposed – you may think that’s their right,” he said. “There are many needy girls from families who may be victims of voyeurism.”

The president of the BC Teachers Federation was one of many people who came out to criticize the trustee’s remarks, saying it amounted to “victim blaming.”

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But the trustee insists attire restrictions should remain in place for students. 

He says teachers shouldn’t have to be subjected to students’ attire.

“I don’t want in my work environment to be bombarded with images that are sexually inappropriate. It’s a form of harassment for a teacher,” he contends.

“I don’t want to have somebody sit there and sexually harass me or any other teacher who doesn’t want to view this. So no, it isn’t blaming the victim, there’s no victim here.”

WATCH: Chilliwack school trustee calls dress code discriminatory

He says a dress code is simply a reflection of what is acceptable in the workplace and at a service counter.

“I don’t want to have a girl sitting there inappropriately dressed with a super short skirt, low blouses, and to call this a woman’s right. They can certainly do that down at Wreck Beach but you can’t go topless on a bus in Vancouver.”

Furgason wonders why so much attention is being paid to Hansman’s reaction.

“I don’t think the BCTF, Glen Hansman, represents all teachers. He’s radical, he’s an activist. He wants to take out standards, and I disagree with him. You should be talking with parents, not Glen Hansman.”

He also feels some attire at school might also offend members of certain religious groups.

And as for criticism that he stance is sexist, he says he says has the same standards for male students and fears if a dress code were eliminated, they could show up to school in swim suits and underwear.