Dear Mr. Epting,

Why are pajama pants prohibited in school? Upon looking into the code of conduct i received within my agenda book at the start of the year, I see that every mention of clothing that is prohibited there is a reason, or the reason is implied, such as the mention of Florida’s sagging pants law. As my eyes wander down the paper, casually reading for mention of my love, pajama pants, I only see the sentence “Pajamas are not allowed to be worn at school.” I’ve read this sentence many times and I can not seem to figure out why the school system is discriminating against the comfiest form of bloomers. Surely it’s not due to their revealing nature. The shorts that I was required to wear for gym class my freshman year were less concealing than any pajama pants i could wear. It can’t be because it offends anyone, because I’ve never met a person who becomes upset by the sight of plaid, or drawings of bears, so the only two pair of pajama pants I own could not be a cause of anxiety to my peers.

So far, in my three and a half years as a Leon Lion, I have only seen the inside of student affairs once, and that was to retrieve a cell phone that had been removed from my possession for texting my mother in class. I am a good student with passing grades in all my classes, and I try to abide by the rules of this school. I am a member of the marching redcoats and I have held a leadership position in the band every year I could. So all I ask is for a comfortable alternative to jeans. I don’t wear slacks either. And now it’s too cold for shorts.

I understand that this is a part of school policy, but my goal is not mischievous or misguided in any way, I am only looking to maximize my comfort at school, and I am curious about why my pants are inappropriate to wear during school. Mr. Skelly told me this previous Monday that if I wore pajama pants again, he would send me home. A devastating start to my week. As a generally good person who tries to abide by the rules, I accepted my fate as a man (i just turned 18) without pajamas. Disheartened as I was, and I tell you I was, I decided to skip the middle-man and jump right to the top of the ladder, and send you, my principle, an email. With the most sincere feeling I can administer via email, I ask for a way to wear pajama pants at school. Maybe a pass I can show Mr. Skelly? Some form of ‘get out of student affairs office free’ card so I can wear my bear pants to school? I look forward to reading your response.

Regards,

Anthony Branca