In 1938, This Los Angeles Teacher Made History After Refusing To Wear A Dress In Court– And Was Even Jailed For Wearing Slacks
In 1938, Helen Hulick– a twenty-eight-year-old kindergarten teacher dedicated to teaching students who were deaf– made history after she refused to wear a dress in a Los Angeles courtroom.
It all began in November of that year when Helen was expected to appear in court as a witness and testify against two men who were involved in the burglary of her apartment building.
But, when she arrived at the courthouse on November 9, 1938, donning slacks, Judge Arthur S. Guerin was appalled.
He claimed that Helen’s pants– which were not a common wardrobe item among women at the time– drew too much attention away from the legal proceedings and directed it toward herself.
And to her surprise, Judge Guerin even postponed the court hearings so Helen could return wearing a more “acceptable outfit.” Helen, though, refused.
“You tell the Judge I will stand on my rights. If he orders me to change into a dress, I won’t do it. I like slacks. They’re comfortable,” she reportedly told the Los Angeles Times the following day.
So, when Helen returned to the courtroom five days later, she made sure to wear slacks again. This time, she donned an orange blouse and dark green pants– which prompted Judge Guerin to again hold up the courtroom.
“The last time you were in this court dressed as you are now and reclining on your neck on the back of your chair, you drew more attention from spectators, prisoners, and court attachés than the legal business at hand,” the Judge began, “And you were requested to return in garb acceptable to courtroom procedure.”
In turn, he yet again ordered Helen to vacate the premises and rescheduled the hearing. But, this time, Judge Guerin issued her a warning– if Helen returned in slacks one more time, she would face jail time.
muse studio – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
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“Listen, I have worn slacks since I was fifteen. I don’t own a dress except a formal. If he wants me to appear in a form gown, that’s okay with me,” Helen said in a statement following the Judge’s threat.
“I will come back in slacks, and if he puts me in jail, I hope it will help to free women forever of anti-slackism.”
And if you could not have guessed it, Helen did, in fact, return to the courtroom in slacks for a third and final time. Judge Guerin was furious and followed through with his threat– holding Helen in contempt of court.
So, the kindergarten teacher was sentenced to five days in jail and forced to put on a denim dress. But, women around Los Angeles heard about Helen’s groundbreaking stand of rebellion and agreed with her– ultimately sending hundreds of letters of protest to the courthouse.
These letters prompted the Appellate Court to investigate Helen’s charge and actually overturn the Judge’s ruling– leaving Helen and any women free to wear slacks in court whenever they choose. And months later, when Helen was set to appear in court before Judge Guerin again, she made headlines after spitefully appearing in a formal evening gown.
Since then, Helen’s refusal to conform to stereotypical ideas of femininity has paved the way for gender equality. Moreover, in her teaching career, Helen went on to pioneer new therapies for deaf people and even founded her own nonprofit organization.
Judge Guerin, on the other hand, passed away in 1962 and has been remembered as a roadblock on the path to gender equality.
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