Pupils at a New York high school have complained of 'morality police' monitors patrolling the corridors and telling them off for showing too much skin.
Yeshiva of Flatbush high school, which is a private Jewish day school in Brooklyn, hired two monitors for this school year to enforce a new stricter dress code.
The school now requires girls to wear dresses that reach the mid-calf or longer and prohibit the wearing of tight shirts, v-neck or cap-sleeved tops, according to the New York Post.
High school senior Melissa Duchan said: "We can’t just walk in the halls because everyone’s looking at us and judging us every second for our clothing. Obviously, it’s degrading."
Ms Duchan, aged 16, raised the issue by writing an open letter to the school authorities published on Jewish news website, JTA, which quickly went viral.
She wrote: "It is imperative that action be taken soon. The current situation has already created a nearly irreparable fissure in the already fragile relationship between the students and faculty.
"It is up to the school to not exacerbate the damage and opt for moderation in the enforcement of the dress code.
"End the pursuit. Let common sense and moderation dictate school policy-not religious zeal, or the opinions of other Midwood residents."
Fellow senior, Jaclyn Klein agreed, adding: "They’re overly harsh. They scream at you. They bring down your confidence.
"One time, I got pushed into a corner by this one lady who stood in the front...and she said, ‘You better go change your skirt right now'."
Girls are only allowed to ditch the long skirts during gym when they are separated from boys - but they are allowed to wear wraparound skirt to use the toilet as its across a corridor used by boys.
While boys have an easier time, they are required to wear a yamaka (skull cap), tzizit (strings hanging from waist), conservative coloured trousers and collared shirts.
The Independent has contacted Yeshiva of Flatbush school.
