According to a newspaper article on Feb. 2, a Catholic high school in northern New Jersey has a "no cursing rule." However, the rule affects only the girls.
Lori Flynn, the teacher who organized the campaign at Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, says that while males weren't asked to take the vow, they have been asked not to swear when girls are near. She explains that this is not a double-standard.
Flynn says school officials want “ladies to act like ladies.” Larry Lavallee, the school's principal, says girls have the foulest language.
Many girls said they would try to follow the pledge that went into effect on Friday, Feb. 1, but they believe it should apply to all students.
Reactions from two females
- Kaitlin McEnery, 16, said the pledge is a “good idea,” but believes that “putting it into action is the problem.”
- Dana Cotter, 16, thought male students should join the pledge because “boys should be more like gentlemen.”
Reaction from a male student
Nicholas Recarte, 16, said, "It's unattractive when girls have potty mouths.” Recarte is a pitcher on the school's baseball team. He said he can't help shouting obscenities from the mound after mishaps, and he didn't expect that to change.
Teachers said they hoped that if the girls focused on cleaning up their speech on campus for a month, their improved manners would take hold and rub off on the boys.
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