Principal told girls they were putting males in an 'awkward situation'

Dress code tensions at Midland high school Students at a Midland high school say the principal was inappropriate when addressing some of the female students over their attire.

A principal at a Catholic high school in Ontario has apologized after telling girls they were putting boys in an “awkward situation” like “the Me Too movement” as he measured the length of their skirts to see if they conformed with a dress code.

Bern Tate, principal of St. Theresa’s Catholic High School in Midland, can be heard on a recording made earlier this week saying: “It’s like the Me Too movement, you’re putting every male in this building in an awkward situation.”

Another person can be heard on the recording saying that a skirt is “way too short.”

Student Hannah Arbour told CTV Barrie that she was stunned by Tate’s comment, an apparent reference to the spate of high-profile sexual assault allegations that were made public as part of the Me Too movement.

“I’ve never felt that my kilt was an inappropriate length,” Arbour added. “He’s made me second-guess myself.”

Grade 12 student Sarah Charlebois said that Tate also told the student that legs are “pretty.” She said the comment made some students “uncomfortable.”

“We’re underage females in a Catholic school,” Charlebois said. “Why is that comment being made by someone of authority?”

Kim Masin, the parent of a St. Theresa’s twelfth grader, said it’s fine for educators to talk about the skirts and to tell students what to wear, “but do not mention Me Too in that same context.”

“They’re really implying that these girls are asking for it by showing their legs,” Masin said.

Brian Beal, Director of Education with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, said that Tate had apologized to the class involved.

“Mr. Tate has said it was a poor choice of words and that it should never have happened and I would concur with that,” Beal said. “We would never want to devalue any of our boys, any of our girls,” he added.

Beal said the school board is planning “a debrief” with all principals about the incident.

With a report from CTV Barrie’s Beatrice Vaisman