What was intended as a small dress code protest led by a 10-year-old Upper St. Clair student has turned into a painful public relations lesson for the fourth-grader.

Zoe Hinkle, a student at Streams Elementary School, and about eight of her friends are scheduled to rally after school today, protesting that the principal, Dr. Claire Miller, has banned short skirts.

But the protest has attracted more media attention than anyone thought it would, some of it not too nice, said Zoe's mother, Leslie Hinkle.

She said her daughter, a straight-A student, has become a target for local radio talk show callers.

"Most of it's been pretty negative, saying that we're just bad parents and what are we raising, some kind of hellion," Mrs. Hinkle said.

"People like to judge and that's what they do. I'm just amazed that there's that many people out there that would bash somebody else's child without knowing them. I would never, ever do that."

Mrs. Hinkle said her daughter was trying to stand up for her friends, who were upset after being called to the principal's office because of the length of their skirts.

Zoe was called to the principal's office last fall when she wore a short skirt. Her mother was contacted as well.

While Upper St. Clair's dress code does not address skirt length specifically, some school districts require that skirts, dresses and shorts reach at least to the students' fingertips when their arms are straight down at their sides.

Upper St. Clair Assistant Superintendent Dr. Terry Kushner said Dr. Miller was not aware of the girls' protest plans initially because none of the families involved had expressed their concerns to her.

"Usually if there's any issue, the parents will contact the principal," Dr. Kushner said. "Hopefully it will be resolved."

Mrs. Hinkle said the principal called yesterday and left a message asking her to contact the other parents involved to arrange a meeting time.

She said she didn't know the names of all the students who planned to participate in the protest but that her daughter had a list.

"We've never concentrated on trivial things like what they wear," Mrs. Hinkle said. "It's always been about the family and standing up for what you believe in."