Interim principal Wesley Hatfield made the decision to change Class Color Day shirts from different colors for every grade to all light gray for freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The class shirt for seniors will remain blue. The design and writing on the shirt will be in the class color for each grade. The refashioning comes as part of a continuation of efforts by school administration over the past few years to crack down on “tagging” of underclassmen with class colors as well as vandalism of the school building on Class Color Day, according to Amanda Lockhart, faculty head of the homecoming task force. 

At the beginning of the year, Hatfield looked to the staff to help him formulate ideas on how to solve the issues surrounding Class Color Day after teachers voiced their concerns about tagging on Class Color Day.

The decision to change the shirt colors was made independent of the Student Government Association (SGA) because, “at that time, a committee for homecoming had not been formed,” Kate Tyler, senior class co-chairman and head of the homecoming task force, said. Tyler has spoken to Hatfield and some parents about the decision.

Student Body Co-President Julian Daniel stated, “No one in SGA leadership had a role in this decision.”

When approached to comment on the situation, Daniel seemed surprised that the change was taking place and had to ask another representative to confirm the report.

The administration publicly announced the change to the student body on Oct. 20 through an email containing a video where Hatfield announced the change and explained the rationale behind it.

“[Tagging] has never been school sanctioned,” Hatfield stated. “It is essentially a hazing tradition passed on from year to year at Decatur High School.”

On the morning announcements on Oct. 23, the new rules and regulations prohibiting tagging on campus were reinforced and alternative ways for students to express their class pride were proposed.