Dance team uniforms stir debate at Fitch High School

Wearing black is OK if it’s for dance, the team’s coach says.

By JEANNE STARMACK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

AUSTINTOWN — The girls on the dance team at Fitch High School don’t see a problem with their uniforms.

Their coach, Lori Gessler, also doesn’t see the harm in letting the team be seen in them.

The administration at the high school sees differently, though.

The Fitch Cadets were told they can’t show up at school events in the uniforms, which they chose, are excited about, and paid $85 a piece for, Gessler said.

The uniforms are long pants and tank tops with red trim and the word “Fitch” across the chests.

Are they too suggestive? No.

It’s not the style, but the color that’s the issue. The uniforms are black and red — not the school’s royal blue and red.

“It’s their dance costumes,” Gessler told the school board at its meeting Tuesday night. Anyone who knows anything about dance, she said, knows that black is a main color for costumes.

Kayla Wilson and Toni Delduchetto, co-captains of the 18-member Cadets, wore their costumes to the podium at the board meeting and wanted to know: What’s the problem?

The girls have a more traditional cheerleader-style uniform that they wear on the sidelines at football games. It’s blue and red. The black uniform is only for their dance routines, which they usually perform at halftime at basketball games, said Gessler and parents who were there to support their daughters.

They were willing to add some blue to the costumes, said Mary Beth Steele, whose daughters Carrie and Christina are on the team.

“They’re bought and paid for by parents,” she pointed out.

“To ask them to throw these in the garbage can is unfair,” Gessler said.

School board President Michael Creatore told Gessler, Wilson and Delduchetto that the issue would have to be dealt with by the high school administration.

But some board members offered their opinions.

“I think the uniforms are beautiful,” said Traci Morse Merlo. “They are appropriate. I don’t think they need to be changed.”

“Our colors are red and blue,” said Richard Zimmermann. “I think they still need to be red and blue.”