A new enforcement in the dress code edict at South Tahoe Middle School prohibits students from wearing red belts, red shoes and red accessories.

The ban was implemented Monday of last week when school administrators said there had become an exorbitant amount of red clothing worn on campus.

"It just felt unusual," said school principal Jackie Nelson.

Red is often worn by certain gang members to advertise or pledge allegiance to their sect.

Nelson said the ban will be on a case-by-case basis. Several students on Friday were seen wearing red shirts, caps and other accessories.

Some students, though, decried the enforcement on apparel. Three girls in eighth grade said they were against the enforcement.

"Just because you wear a certain color doesn't mean you're in a gang," said eighth-grader Dulcie Camacho.

"It's not like we dress in certain colors that it's going to affect our education," said Belem Herrera, another eighth-grader.

One student was in a seven-minute timeout during the lunch period Friday. The student was wearing a red shirt but he was disciplined for throwing a football inside the multi-purpose room. The boy discovered he was wearing potential contraband.

"I don't think he's in a gang," said Assistant Principal Jim Valdes while walking up to the student. "We have to use discretion."

A portion of the school dress code reads: All apparel or body markings must be free of references that are sexual in nature, promote hate groups, gangs or that promote drugs, alcohol or substance abuse."