Like most schools, Foothill High School in the town of Pleasanton, California, has rules about what students can wear. 

But one junior says the rules go too far and are improperly enforced. 

Sanam Nawim has started a petition at Change.org, which now has 2,000 signatures. She is specifically focusing on Article 4 of the dress code, which outlines what girls and boys cannot wear.

"It's very clear that it's written for girls. You can tell by the writing and the words they use. It says: short shorts, halter tops, short skirts, fish nets, the list goes on," Nawim said. "I just really want to modify that one article of the dress code, because that is the only line in the dress code that is sexist." 

For Nawim, the school's clothing rules also speak poorly to male students.  

"I think at this point, this dress code -- even though no one has said it directly -- it's saying that males are distracted and can't control themselves. Which I also think is demeaning to men, because it shows them as these animals who can't control their hormones, when really, when you're out of high school, you're going to have to learn how to do that eventually," she said.

Ruthann Robson, professor of law at City University of New York and author of "Dressing Constitutionally," says what's at issue in a case like this is freedom of expression and the equality provisions of the Constitution, in terms of sex equality and treating boys and girls the same way.

"Asking women to police their dress because of the effect that it will have on boys," Robson says, "really is unfair."

Jill Weber, a DC-based psychologist and author of "Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy," adds that the equality issue isn't the only problem.

"From a psychological perspective," Weber says, a dress code that's "really about girls and what girls wear... tends to lead to shaming for girls and this sense that they're being objectified."

Take Two did reach out to the Pleasanton Unified School District, and their statement included links to the article in question as part of Board Policy 5132, Administrative Regulations, and Foothill High School's website regarding the dress code. 

"We believe it is gender-neutral and applies to ALL students.  It is the California School Boards Association (CSBA) sample policy and is similar to most school districts' policies," the statement said. "We are always open to reviewing our policies and will be surveying teachers, students and parents/guardians on this topic. No student at Foothill HS has been given a detention or asked to attend a 'character class.' (The character traits class mentioned in the petition is the THIRD consequence for ANY inappropriate behavior that is not curtailed after a verbal warning and a detention, not only for dress code.)"

Nawim feels a compromise could be reached.

"The school has been really supportive and the people at school have been supportive. I really do see some progress coming. At the end of the day, even if this article is not modified, at least the discussion came to our school," she said.