Goth teen wants the same rules for everyone

  • Julie Muhlstein / Herald Columnist
  • Monday, October 30, 2000 9:00pm
  • Local News

Black clothes head to toe, hair any hue but what nature intended, pale faces and tons of eyeliner, and jewelry with spikes — don’t forget spikes. For some teens, the stuff of Halloween is as everyday as other kids’ Gap khakis.

If the word "Gothic" brings to mind the ’60s soap opera "Dark Shadows," get with it. Today’s Gothic is a way to dress and a way to be.

The Goth look is off-putting. My kids aren’t into it. I have a boy who sometimes looks like a baggy-pants skater, but that’s as out there as Muhlstein kids get. I wouldn’t be thrilled to see them turn Goth. That makes me more narrow-minded than Lora Troncoso.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

"Would I rather she dressed normal? No," Troncoso said of her 16-year-old daughter, Clarissa. "Kids change, styles change, love remains the same. Gothic or not, she’s a funny, brave, kind person and a good friend. There’s so much more to worry about than this."

Last week, Clarissa was suspended from Everett High School for a day because she wore a spike-studded necklace. The girl was told if she returned in spikes, she’d face a longer suspension.

Troncoso is angered both by the jewelry ban and the school’s lack of a written policy outlining it. When she contacted the school, Troncoso was told spikes posed a safety hazard.

"If there are going to be issues with this, I want to see a policy in writing," Troncoso said.

"They pulled my kid in and another girl who wore eyeliner down the corner of her eye and down her face. They told her she couldn’t wear it like that. These are the kids considered to be Gothic," she said.

Pat Sullivan, principal of Everett High, said the school has had "interactions over this particular piece of adornment" for five years. The spike issue originally came up in P.E. class.

"We feel it could reasonably be perceived to be a weapon," he said. "We do not try to be intrusive to what students want to wear, but sometimes we have to, as schools have always done. There are some things we don’t allow for very specific reasons."

Troncoso and her daughter don’t buy those reasons. They feel Goths are picked on while others wear chains or other heavy jewelry, which could also be weapons.

For Clarissa, the Gothic look is self-expression. "We’re not evil people at all. I don’t think it’s right that cheerleaders can paint their faces to show school spirit, but my friend had tiny whiskers coming out of her eyes and they told her to take it off.

"It’s not like I walk around and bark," the 10th-grader said.

"I know they’re trying to make this a Gothic issue," Sullivan said. About the makeup ban, he said, "we’re responding to a type of makeup that in excess we view as being intimidating or threatening. Oftentimes it is black, turning to red, coming out of the corner of eyes, nostrils or the corners of mouths.

"It’s meant to be ghoulish or intimidating," the principal said.

Why not a written rule? With kids in Catholic schools, I’m used to rules on everything, nail polish to socks. If a rule is in place, there’s less room for individuals to feel singled out.

"We’ve gotten away from having specific things listed in our dress code," Sullivan said. A select list implies that everything else is allowed, something he said the school doesn’t want to do.

Posted at the Everett Mall entrance is a code of conduct you’ve probably never noticed. The 14th rule bans "the wearing of spikes on any part of the body."

"They’re dangerous for people walking in the mall," said Linda Johannes, the mall’s general manager. "For us it’s a safety issue. We have lots of older people, and little ones in strollers. Imagine a child losing balance and hitting a spike."

Alderwood Mall has no such policy.

For an eyeful of Gothic gear, wander into Hot Topic at Everett Mall. Jessa Knutson, the store’s manager, can wear spikes in the shop, but not in the mall. To Knutson, the school ban is "totally stupid."

"At punk shows, in a mosh pit, you can get hurt by somebody’s jewelry. I’ve never heard of anybody walking into spikes," she said.

Knutson, who declined to give her age, is critical of dress codes aimed at certain groups. "It is attacking. They’re afraid of us," she said. "You have no idea how many kids come in here during school hours because they can’t handle the torment."

Troncoso’s daughter is handling it by passing a petition around school. It asks students to "say yes to freedom of dress."

At the very least, the mother of a Goth wants a rule that applies to everyone.

"If you have it in writing, we’ll abide by your rule," Troncoso said. "I’ve got a gorgeous kid who wears a dog collar. It’s not something I would wear, but I can’t make her change if they’re allowing every other kid but mine to be entitled to what they want to wear."

Fair enough.

Contact Julie Muhlstein via e-mail at

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Cars drive along Cathcart Way next to the site of the proposed Eastview Village development that borders Little Cedars Elementary on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in unincorporated Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Former engineer: Snohomish County rushed plans for Eastview development

David Irwin cited red flags from the developers. After he resigned, the county approved the development that’s now stalled with an appeal

Outside of the Madrona School on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sewer district notifies Edmonds schools of intent to sue

The letter of intent alleges the school district has failed to address long-standing “water pollution issues” at Madrona K-8 School.

Everett
Man stabbed in face outside Everett IHOP, may lose eye

Police say the suspect fled in the victim’s car, leading officers on a 6-mile chase before his arrest.

A person walks up 20th Street Southeast to look at the damage that closed the road on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
WA delegation urges Trump to reconsider request for bomb cyclone aid

The Washington state congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump on… Continue reading

Aaron Weinstock uses an x-ray machine toy inside the Imagine Children Museum on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Imagine Children’s Museum $250k grant reinstated following federal court order

The federal grant supports a program that brings free science lessons to children throughout rural Snohomish County.

Snohomish County 911 Executive Director Kurt Mills talks about the improvements made in the new call center space during a tour of the building on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New 911 center in Everett built to survive disaster

The $67.5 million facility brings all emergency staff under one roof with seismic upgrades, wellness features and space to expand.

Everett
Five arrested in connection with Everett toddler’s 2024 overdose death

More than a year after 13-month-old died, Everett police make arrests in overdose case.

Madison Family Shelter Family Support Specialist Dan Blizard talks about one of the pallet homes on Monday, May 19, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Madison Family Shelter reopens after hiatus

The Pallet shelter village, formerly Faith Family Village, provides housing for up to eight families for 90 days.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

A member of the Sheriff's office works around evidence as investigators work the scene on 20th Street SE near Route 9 after police shot and killed a man suspected in a car theft on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Family of Lake Stevens man shot by police sues over mental health care delays

Lawsuit says state failed to evaluate James Blancocotto before he was shot fleeing in a patrol car.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County report: 10 bridges set for repairs, replacement

An annual report the county released May 22 details the condition of local bridges and future maintenance they may require.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.