STARKVILLE — A steady stream of parents and community members filed into the Starkville Sportsplex multi-purpose building Thursday night to join an appeal against the Starkville School District’s recent decision to implement a dress code policy beginning this fall.

The group, led by Booneville-based attorneys Daniel Tucker and Allison Worley, is seeking a temporary restraining order, a permanent injunction and other relief from the Starkville School District’s board of trustees and Superintendent Judy Couey. Along with Couey, board members Eddie Myles, Walter Taylor, Bill Weeks, Pickett Wilson and Keith Coble are named as defendants.

More than 100 people signed affidavits to join the appeal, which Tucker plans to file today in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court.

The appeal says that, following the Feb. 2 board of trustees meeting, the board determined requiring uniforms would be considered a fee, which would require the school district to issue hardship waivers, and that more than 60 percent of students in the SSD qualify for the free lunch program and would therefore qualify for a hardship waiver relating to the required uniforms. It also states the school board determined the district could not afford to clothe more than 60 percent of its student population and therefore could not impose a uniform requirement, so the SSD altered the uniform policy by changing the word “uniform” to “dress code.”

The appeal also alleges the board of trustees changed the wording from uniform to dress code to avoid financial obligation to those SSD students who would have qualified for a hardship waiver.

“The dress code, as adopted, is effectively a uniform policy requiring the purchase of a specific type of clothing ...,” the appeal reads.

The board of trustees has stated safety concerns as one of its main reasons for adopting the dress code, but the appeal alleges the board’s decision came without “substantive evidence to show how a uniform dress code will improve safety and security in the Starkville School District.”

The appeal also says, among other things, the dress code would decrease students’ creativity and individuality, lessen their enthusiasm for learning and limit free speech.

Several parents who turned out to the Sportsplex Thursday night wore maroon armbands.

“It’s a peaceful protest saying we are against the school board’s decision,” said SSD parent Kathleen Olivieri. “I believe that our school board, while well-intentioned, did not include us in on the discussion. We presented our argument to them and we don’t believe they really took it into account and discussed it. And if they’re not going to listen to us about uniforms, what about the real problem? Because the real problem is safety and you can wrap it up in a pretty present, but it’s not going to make it safe. The uniforms are not going to make our children safe. It’s just a facade.”

Fellow SSD parent Martin Coleman shared a similar sentiment.

“It seems bigger than uniforms now because the overwhelming majority of people seem to be against it,” Coleman said. “It’s just like, is the board member there to serve the members of the community or are they just there for their own agenda? They’re not elected, per se, but they are appointed by our elected officials, so it seems like they should be there to represent us. If the overwhelming majority of people in the community are against this, why are they trying to push it through?”

Merrill Bush, another SSD parent, also signed an affidavit because he is against the dress code.

“They say it’s gang-related, they say it’s for the betterment of the children, but I don’t see where a dress code is going to make you smarter,” Bush said. “If you got it, you got it. If you don’t, you don’t. If there’s any type of gang, uniforms are not going to stop a gang from doing ultimately whatever their goal is and what they’re set out to do. Starkville is not a big town like Detroit or Chicago. We don’t have the problems those major cities have. That’s my reason for opposing, and I kind of like the form of expression and individuality.”

Parent Stan Brown was opposed to the dress code for financial reasons.

“I don’t want to pay for it,” Brown said. “Just the cost of new uniforms that they’ll never use again and won’t use outside of the school day, I just don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t think they have the data to back their claims up.”

Mirage Bell, a freshman at Starkville High School, also is opposed to the dress code.

“It’s not any safer,” Bell said. “It costs more. It won’t be cheaper to buy a uniform because when you get out of school, you still want to change into something else.”

Starkville School District officials had no comment on the appeal, SSD Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas said.