Sydney Principal Under Fire For Telling Female Students Not To Wear 'Skimpy' Clothes

A Sydney principal has come under fire for telling female students not to wear revealing clothing because there were male teachers on campus.

Cheltenham Girls High School Principal Suellen Lawrence was speaking to the girls after the institution's swimming carnival and urged them to wear appropriate clothes on mufti-days.

She explained that the school has a strict dress code and she didn't want to see any deviation from that.

In a video obtained by 7News, Ms Lawrence was captured saying: "Some of the shorts were very short. And some of the tops were very stringy tops. Wear some clothing that covers you properly.

"Please remember girls there are male teachers in this school and they don't want to be looking at that either.

"Don't compromise their employment because you can't do the right thing."

Parents were reportedly in uproar about the comments and accused the principal of victim blaming a cohort of young girls.

One guardian said it was unnecessary to sexually charge a relationship between a female student and her male teacher and also casts a terrible image on the male teachers who are just doing their job.

7News explained some of the students brought up their concerns with the school, however Ms Lawrence double downed and explained that her comments were justified.

"For those girls that have taken this out of context and have decided to make it into some sort of big issue," she reportedly said to students. "I'm sorry for you, you need to go back and listen to what was said.

"I really think that it's time that we started to take a step back sometimes from our emotions and not be so clouded by them, girls.

"I am not attacking any individual girl or any student that may have gender-identity issues or any of those things at all.

"I am simply saying to you girls, please make sure that you adhere to the request of the school which is that you are dressing appropriately."

Despite holding strong on her views, it's reported Ms Lawrence will issue an apology to the students today (February 15).

NSW Department of Education Executive Director of School Performance Cathy Brennan told 7News that she is 'confident' the principal is remorseful over the comments and agreed what was said was 'inappropriate'.

"We've taken that really seriously and worked with our principal to raise those concerns with her," Brennan said.

"She's ready to apologise, recognises they were not the comments aligned with our view of how we give confidence to our students and how we position our schools."

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Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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