The principal at a highly selective and highly prestigious Chicago elementary school has apologized for singling out and publicly shaming seven girls on the last day of school for the immodest lengths of their shorts.

Susan Josephine Kukielka, the principal at Decatur Classical School, made the comments at a school-wide awards ceremony, reports WGN-TV.

“These are not girls of distinction because their shorts are too short,” Kukielka said at the assembly, according to the station.

Later, she sent letters of apology to the students.

Despite the letters, the parents of the seven girls remain angry about the incident.

At the school’s local council meeting on Monday, parents complained that their daughters had been humiliated. Some parents also called for the principal’s resignation and criticized the incident as an example of a trend of using public embarrassment for disciplinary purposes, according to CBS Chicago.

One parent, Debra Leja, made her comments to the school council while dressed in short shorts, observes the Chicago Sun-Times.

The elementary school has no dress code, notes CBS Chicago, though students are expected to dress respectably.

The school’s webpage boasts that Kukielka “has found the perfect combination that spurs our success.”

“Adored and respected by all, her door is always open to those who need her,” it adds.

Decatur Classical School is one of five classical schools in the city. Enrollment is highly selective. The curriculum is accelerated and focused on high achievement in literature, math, languages and the humanities.

Chicago Magazine ranks Decatur Classical as the best public elementary school in the entire Second City. There are 472 public elementary schools and 96 charter campuses.

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