Saggy Pants Bill to be Heard by House, Senate

WKMS | By Todd Hatton

Published April 2, 2012 at 7:45 AM CDT

A measure that would prohibit Tennessee students from dressing indecently in school is scheduled to be heard on the floor of the House and Senate this evening. The bill seeks to prohibit students from exposing "underwear or body parts in an indecent manner that disrupts the learning environment." A stricter version of the proposal failed to pass the Legislature three years ago. That measure particularly targeted individuals that sag their pants below the waistline and imposed a fine of up to $250 and 160 hours of community service. Under the current proposal, school districts would decide a less severe punishment. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Arkansas and Florida are currently the only states to target schools for a saggy pants ban.

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Todd Hatton

Todd Hatton hails from Paducah, Kentucky, where he got into radio under the auspices of the late, great John Stewart of WKYX while a student at Paducah Community College. He also worked at WKMS in the reel-to-reel tape days of the early 1990s before running off first to San Francisco, then Orlando in search of something to do when he grew up. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Murray State University. He vigorously resists adulthood and watches his wife, Angela Hatton, save the world one plastic bottle at a time.

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