At Shelton High School in Shelton, Connecticut, there is a rule that anyone receiving a suspension after April 1 will not be allowed to attend the prom. The rule is well-publicized -- posted in the halls, announced on the PA system, phone-treed to parents, and mailed out to parents.
Senior James Tate thought that rule didn't apply to him; and as it turns out, he was right. He trespassed on school property and climbed up to the top of the school entrance to attach a banner inviting a girl to go to the prom with him. He knew it was against the rules for him to do so, because he says he thought he'd just be told to clean it up. But he was suspended, and forfeited his right to go to the prom.
National news media picked it up, and it seems everyone sided with the kid. In fact, the pressure was so great, that the school gave in and he's attending the prom. Unfortunately he learned through this experience that if you're loud enough, you don't have to be right.
On another note, I have become aware just how out of hand these prom things have become. When I was in high school, it was a tux, a pretty formal, some flowers, a beauty shop appointment, and maybe a fancy dinner out. Now it's all those things (the formal has morphed into "how tiny and revealing can this dress be without me being arrested") plus limos, rented hotel rooms for parties afterward, and outlandish marriage proposal type invitations. The kids even call it "popping the question." What are the parents of these kids thinking????
"Suspended student to go to prom after all." The Dallas Morning News; May 15, 2011; p. 2A.
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