Senior Caitlin Ward and the rest of her cross country team had arrived at Central after a long run. The girls were getting ready to stretch when a woman walked up behind Ward and started yelling.

“Are you a senior?” the woman asked. “Your ass is hanging out. You shouldn’t be representing your school this way. You are inappropriately dressed.”

Ward, clad in spandex and a sports bra, was shocked. “I didn’t know how to respond without being rude,” she said.

Spandex are known for being tight-fitting and revealing. The woman spoke to an assistant coach about it after her encounter with Ward.

“My son is in the car and that girl is dressed like that,” she said while pointing to Ward.

According to the student handbook, school dress code states that “shorts and skirts must provide sufficient coverage – mid-thigh length is recommended.” But the school dress code does not specifically speak to clothing worn by athletes. Spandex items happen to be included as an option in the cross country team uniform.

“It’s lighter and it helps you run,” said sophomore Inaaz Mirza, a teammate of Ward’s.

Mirza heard the woman’s comments about Ward.

“When you’re outside and you’re running and sweating and it’s hot, it’s different,” Mirza said. “No one’s focused on each other like that when they’re running.” Mirza also noted that the girls and boys teams typically go out on separate runs.

The woman did end up apologizing to Ward after a long conversation with the coaches.

“Sorry, apparently you are dressed appropriately,” the woman eventually told Ward.

Mirza commented on how the coaches dealt with the situation.

“[Coach Aislinn] Hicks handled it really well,” Mirza said. “She was very calm and understanding even if she didn’t agree with that lady. During cross country, the coaches are our parent figures. If that woman wanted to make a comment, she could have talked to the coaches first.”

After the woman left, the girls joked about what happened.

“I felt bad for Caitlin,” Mirza said. “Let’s all just strip [to make Caitlin feel better].”

Ward laughed it off. “I don’t care, it was kind of funny,” she said.