H.E. Charles Middle School bans all-black clothing for students

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- As the start of a new school year nears for El Paso ISD, students at H.E. Charles Middle School are now banned from wearing all-black clothing at school. 

This comes after the schools principal claimed it's "associated with mental health issues."

EPISD officials told ABC-7 this is in response to student safety concerns brought forward by parents and teachers.

"I understand that it is a concern, but keep in mind that students safety is our number one priority, and so anytime, there are concerns that are brought forward about student safety it's important for us to take those seriously," said EPISD Executive Principal, Sarah Venegas.

Venegas said last year the school allowed black pants, now only khaki pants and blue jeans will be allowed. 

"Wearing your uniform is a part of the school rules, at every campus, if their in uniform violations it can be a disciplinary infraction but that is up to every administrator," she added.

Some parents tell ABC-7 they have mixed feelings about the change.

"I don't think we should be grouping, and red flagging kids that just like to wear black," said El Paso Parent, Stephanie Rascon.

"It brings down, I think, the mood of the school, if it's just black," added Parent, Nancy Rangel-Gomez.

ABC-7 spoke with mental health expert, Krista Wingate, about if the clothing children choose to wear correlates with their mental well-being. 

"I think there's so much more that can be considered when were thinking about mental health struggles and challenges with adolescents and young children," she said.

Other than clothing, Wingate said it's important to look a child's behavioral patterns when concerned about their mental state, and speak with them.

"I think they should be looking out for different signs of stress or different signs of anxiety. A lot of times students will feel pressure. They may have difficulty because they have a change in their routine, so they might feel overwhelmed with shifting from the summer months, going back into school, and needing to organize themselves for assignments and different tasks that have to be completed academically," she added.