VENTURA COUNTY NEWS : Fashion Feud : Schools Divided Over Students Donning Gothic Attire

Before April, trench coats were just another teen fashion statement.

Then two students wearing such coats at a high school in Littleton, Colo., killed 13 people before shooting themselves. For many educators and parents, trench coats became a symbol of the school massacre and a warning sign of troubled teens.

Now, as the school year gets underway, some teens have returned to campus donning the belted raincoats. At Buena High School in Ventura, students say about 10 of their classmates wear long black dusters and cultivate a gothic look.

Several students said they aren’t afraid of the gothic crowd that often congregates under a tree on campus during lunch.

“A lot of people who dress like that are actually pretty nice,” said Jennifer Truscott, 16. “They should be able to wear what they want.”

And Buena Principal Mike Johnson said he doesn’t plan to take any disciplinary action against the teens. He said he doesn’t believe in singling out students based upon stereotypes.

“I look for behavior and a person’s character,” he said. “That’s much more critical than the way they dress.”

Ventura High School Principal Larry Emrich said he’s also not concerned about students wearing trench coats unless they begin to intimidate other students.

“I’m not going to outlaw orange hair, unless orange hair becomes a problem,” Emrich said. “We’re not saying you can’t wear trench coats, as long as you don’t go around putting down other kids.”

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But at Thousand Oaks High School, officials are discouraging teens from wearing trench coats, even going so far as to ask one girl to remove her coat.

And Moorpark High School Principal Anna Merriman said if a student came to school with a trench coat, the counselors would very likely discourage the teen from wearing it again and call the parents.

“Luckily, I haven’t seen anything and haven’t had to stop anybody,” Merriman said.

Still, she said, “I’m much more concerned about how the kids feel rather than what they wear.”

Although trench coats aren’t banned at most Ventura County schools, other types of clothing are prohibited. Dress codes prohibit students from wearing gang attire and clothing that promotes drugs, alcohol, racism or violence.

Such dress codes, educators argue, encourage students to focus on their classes and prevent them from promoting gang affiliations while at school.

“School is a place for learning, and the dress code that we have is designed to promote a safe, secure and productive learning environment,” Ventura Unified Assistant Supt. Pat Chandler said.

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At Simi Valley High School, officials ask students considered inappropriately attired to change clothes. Principal Dennis Rast said students should be “prideful in themselves and respectful of others.”

“How kids dress and how they appear is how they act,” Rast said. “And we don’t want them promoting violence or gangs.”

Some students say dress codes infringe upon their freedom of expression, and don’t target the root of violence and gang involvement.

In response, school administrators point out that in addition to enforcing dress codes, they are implementing new safety programs and keeping watch on students for signs of potential problems. The administrators say they are reviewing their security procedures, adding campus police officers and installing surveillance cameras at some schools.

At Thousand Oaks High School, a security guard in a golf cart patrols the campus. In Simi Valley, dogs sniff lockers in random drug searches once a year. In Oxnard and Santa Paula, cameras monitor areas throughout the campuses.

And districts throughout the county have “zero tolerance” policies concerning weapons on campus. They also require visitors to check in--and to sometimes wear badges--when they enter school grounds.

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In Ventura, police officers now rotate between the high school and middle school campuses, enforcing campus security, teaching safety programs and mentoring students.

On the first day at Balboa Middle School in Ventura, resource officer Brigitte Whitehead patrolled the campus during lunch. She gave students hugs, high fives and warning glances as she walked through the quad.

When she passed one seventh-grader who sported red, spiked hair, she asked him if he planned on being a role model for the younger students. When he nodded and said, “Yeah,” she patted him on the back and said, “Well, good!”

Whitehead said she helps build a relationship between students and police officers, and sends a message to everyone that the school is serious about safety.

Greg Rutledge, 13, said he likes having an officer on campus. “I think it’s very good,” he said. “It makes our school safe.”

As the year goes on, districts will be able to strengthen their security programs even more.

Gov. Gray Davis set aside $100 million to help pay for new safety measures. Some districts plan to install cameras or purchase walkie-talkies or cell phones, while others will hire additional counselors or develop conflict-resolution programs.

Although some students and parents argue that the heightened security turns schools into virtual police states, officials say the strict measures are necessary. In Oxnard, those measures include random weapons-check searches with hand-held metal detectors.

“It’s just become part of what we do in the district,” said Jim Nielsen, Oxnard High’s principal. “Our No. 1 concern is a safe learning environment, and the staff feels that is what it takes to maintain a safe campus.”

Times staff writer Margaret Talev contributed to this report.