Yoga pants rule riles Ottawa students

Students at a Catholic high school in south Ottawa are protesting a dress code that requires a long shirt be worn with form-fitting yoga pants.

The pants are popular among girls at St. Joseph's High School in Barrhaven and they are not happy about the requirement that carries the threat of suspension.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board put the policy in place but St. Joseph's has started to enforce it. The board said there was no change made to the dress code but an announcement was made earlier this week reminding parents and students about proper attire.

"Everyone's like, the school's so lame I want to move out. Like, it's bad," said Crystal Gomes, who joined about 300 other students in signing a petition protesting the requirement.

"Everyone's just going to wear it anyway to see if the school's going to suspend us anyway," another girl told CBC News. 

Emily Devenz walked into school in her favourite Lycra pants — without the required long shirt.

'Everyone's like, the school's so lame I want to move out. Like, it's bad."  — Crystal Gomes

"I'm pretty angry about it because I'm one of the girls that wears Lulus every single day," Devenz said. "They already banned ripped jeans, skinny jeans and jeggings, so I was pretty upset because that kills my whole wardrobe."

Mothers who dropped off their teens at the school Wednesday joined the debate.  

"I've seen it really form-fitting — that I can see the outline of everything on their body," Nicole Kocagda said. "It just adds too much temptation for the boys in the school."

But another mother Judy Masson wasn't so sure: "It's people's own judgment. My girls are tiny and kind of sporty, so I think they look cute in them."  

The Catholic school board said it has no plans to change the policy on form-fitting pants.