While most kids are planning for the first day of school, Emily Connolly, a 16-year-old from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is planning a protest. 
 
 Connolly argues the new dress code policy at Cape Cod Technical High School unfairly body-shames female students. 
 
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 The school’s dress code now states that “spandex, tights and yoga pants must be worn with short or a skirt.” The popular clothing items are not banned, the school stresses, but are now “considered an accessory.” 
 
 “My friends and I didn’t agree with it at all,” Connolly told ABC News. “[If] we want to just kind of go to school and sit there for eight hours in a t-shirt and leggings or yoga pants, then I feel like we should have that option.” 
 
 The school district’s superintendent, Robert Sanborn III, said in a statement that the policy is meant to help prepare students for the future, including giving them “soft skills employers seek, include an awareness of appropriate dress for appropriate venues.” 
 
 Connolly argues the new policy unfairly targets herself and her female classmates. 
 
 “Many of us think that it is because it’s considered more of a distraction to boys,” she said. 
 
 Connolly took to social media to rally her fellow classmates, creating a Facebook page to encourage students to wear yoga pants and leggings on the first day of school next week. 
 
 Connolly wrote on the page, "First Day = Yoga Pants," that they, “shouldn’t have to pay…because some boys can’t ‘control’ themselves.’” 
 
 Connolly’s case is one of just the latest of teens protesting school policies. Earlier this year, Connecticut students started a petition after a classmate was banned from prom for a dress that showed “too much skin.” 

 In the past, a number of schools have banned yoga pants and leggings because the tight legwear are considered “distracting” to male students and teachers. But now a Massachusetts high school has restricted the bottoms to teach students an important lesson. 
 
 This year, Cape Cod Technical High School changed its dress code to read: “Leggings, tights, yoga pants and any other extremely form fitting apparel are considered an accessory and must be worn with dress/skirt or shorts.” 
 
 According to school district superintendent Robert Sanborn, the reason for these restrictions is to help prepare kids for the workforce. “Vocational technical education is about preparing people for a career,” he said. “It has to do with employability. We're passing on the skills that are needed in the workforce, to know that's not proper attire when you're at work.” 
 
 Despite this valid reasoning, students are upset with the change. Emily Connolly, a 16-year-old student, told ABC News: “My friends and I didn’t agree with it at all. [If] we want to just kind of go to school and sit there for eight hours in a t-shirt and leggings or yoga pants, then I feel like we should have that option.” 
 
 Connolly is now organizing a protest and is asking all female students to wear yoga pants on the first day of school on Wednesday. According to the teen’s Facebook post, the students aren’t buying the school’s reasoning for the change of dress code. 
 
 “Girls in today's society are forced to cover [their] bodies and considered more of sex symbols than actual human beings,” Connolly wrote. “Just because some guys don't know how to ‘control’ themselves doesn't mean girls need to pay for it.” 
 
 While superintendent Sanborn is anticipating a lot of yoga pants on the first day of school, he says that students who break the rules won’t be unfairly punished. “Nobody's going to get thrown out of school. Nobody's going to be put in detention,” he said. “We're going to use this as a teachable moment.” 
 
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 HARWICH (CBS) – Students at Cape Cod Regional Tech in Harwich are protesting new restrictions on yoga pants. They say their school’s new dress code promotes body shaming. 
 
 Female students there say they shouldn’t be forced to cover their bodies. The new rule requires yoga pants to be worn with a dress, skirt or shorts. 
 
 Some want school officials to change the rules. 
 
 The senior class president joined others in wearing just the pants as a protest. 
 
 “I definitely see both sides I think we need to dress appropriately at school not show anything that is inappropriate but at the same time we need to be standing up for our rights in what we can wear,” Seana Aiolupotea said. 
 
 “It’s pretty much like the same thing that’s going on in the Middle East,” a male student said. “Women can’t drive because it’s a distraction to men and I don’t think it’s fair that we can take something away from the girls just because it’s either distracting the guys or its non-professional.” 
 
 For now, violators won’t be punished 
 
 “In the hallways we’re always addressing dress in one way or another,” said Superintendent Robert Sanborn. “It’s hats indoors, tank tops things of that nature, and it’s a teachable moment it’s not a disciplinary action it’s not detention.” 
 
 Meanwhile, the debate goes on. 
 
 “Yoga pants are really comfortable,” one female student said. 
 
 “Being a girl I also feel uncomfortable with it, seeing a girl showing things,” another female student said. “I’m like they shouldn’t be dressing like that!” 
 
 So for now yoga pants violators will be addressed with teachable moments not punishment. Incidentally this school district is not alone. Restrictions on yoga pants have been in place in many different school districts across the country.
– A high school in Cape Cod isn't the first to ban yoga pants, which tend to be barred over their form-fitting nature being seen as a "distraction" for male students, but this time it's ostensibly for a different reason—at least according to the school district's superintendent. "Vocational technical education is about preparing people for a career," he says. "It has to do with employability. We're passing on the skills that are needed in the workforce, to know that's not proper attire when you're at work." And thus Cape Cod Technical High School's dress code now reads: "Leggings, tights, yoga pants, and any other extremely form fitting apparel are considered an accessory and must be worn with dress/skirt or shorts," reports the Huffington Post Canada. Not everyone is happy, and 16-year-old Emily Connolly organized a protest involving wearing yoga pants to the first day of school this week, ABC News reports. The senior class president tells CBS she sees both sides: "I think we need to dress appropriately at school, not show anything that is inappropriate, but at the same time we need to be standing up for our rights in what we can wear." Another student points out, "Yoga pants are really comfortable," while a male student says, "I don’t think it’s fair that we can take something away from the girls just because it’s either distracting the guys or it's non-professional." But one female student expressed relief. "Being a girl I also feel uncomfortable with it, seeing a girl showing things. I’m like they shouldn’t be dressing like that!" (One legislator tried to make yoga pants illegal in Montana.)