Mississippi High School Bans Same-Sex Dates At Prom

Students at a Mississippi high school were given required attendance paperwork in order to attend prom that included language that clearly banned same-sex dates.

Via Yahoo News:

Students at Tremont Attendance Center in Mississippi were told to sign paperwork that included language stating that guests attending the Apr. 26th prom must be “of the opposite sex.” The rule was emphasized twice — in capitalized, bold letters — on the two-page form, and under a safety waiver that required student and parent signatures.

High school prom organizers that excluded same-sex couples from the upcoming dance deny the rule was homophobic.

“Guests must be 10th-grade–21 years old and of the opposite sex,” read the rule.

The form was shared on Facebook by Jack McCrory, a Tremont graduate whose niece is a current student. “From the open-minded and tolerant folks of the Tremont prom committee,” he wrote on Monday.

Trae Wiygul, the superintendent of Itawamba County Schools, did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.

He told WTVA, “The Itawamba County School District does not sponsor or endorse proms. If prom is being held, it is a private affair hosted by parents. Since this matter allegedly concerns a parent, who is also a teacher, any activity that person may have done during school hours concerning a prom was outside the scope of employment and is being investigated.”

Wiygul said a teacher who passed out the forms is being investigated.

According to WTVA, a parent involved with prom said the rule was an attempt at “crowd control,” so students could not purchase tickets for unofficial dates. “That’s not relevant to a person’s sex,” McCrory tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

A Facebook post, allegedly written by a Tremont student and sent to Yahoo Lifestyle, says the paperwork was passed out by “multiple teachers” prefacing an intercom announcement from the principal, which warned that students could not bring same-sex dates.

Joshua Tom, the legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Preventing same-sex couples from attending prom is discriminatory and unconstitutional. We’d advise that the county doesn’t repeat its discriminating actions from nine years ago or face legal jeopardy.”

High School Officials Break Into Bathroom Stall Being Used By Transgender Student

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A video posted to social media appears to show school officials breaking into a bathroom stall as a transgender high school student is using the bathroom.

According to The Daily Dot, the student originally posted the video to their social media but it has since gone viral. Her name isn’t being used as she’s apparently a minor.

The one-minute video, shot from the student’s perspective inside the stall, shows a crowbar or broomstick being used to reach over the door of the stall and unlatch it.

As this is happening the student says, “I’m using the bathroom, and look at them; I’m using the bathroom and they just violated me!”

“I am so scared and violated right now. They just walked in the bathroom while I was using the bathroom for no reason.”

The video was shared on Twitter by activist Kenidra Woods. Watch below.

A transgender female student @ Osseo Senior High was ostracized by administration, violated, and put out of school for using the Girl's bathroom.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/Pkh46MAjJP

— Kenidra4Humanity (@KenidraRWoods_) November 29, 2018

You know, most of the people who oppose trans folks using a bathroom say their concern is about being harassed in a stall. And here are folks doing exactly that to a trans student...?

“I’m not personally in touch with the student, but in her video, she asked for people to share it far and wide,” Woods told the Daily Dot. “So, I made it my priority to share it because it infuriated me to my core. No one should be treated in the manner she was treated.”

While it’s possible there’s more to the story, it is difficult to believe that prying open a bathroom stall door on a student is the best possible approach to this situation. The officials or hall monitors couldn’t wait until the student exited the stall?

The issue of bathroom use by transgender students has been in the news frequently in recent years, especially since the Trump administration reversed an Obama-era policies that recommended transgender students be allowed to use the bathroom that aligned with their gender identity.

The student apparently posted follow-up videos to Facebook which appeared to identify the school as Osseo Senior High School in Osseo, Minnesota.

According to The Daily Dot, school officials have not commented on the video.

The story becomes more complicated as LGBTQNation reports someone who claims to be the sister of the student took to her Facebook to criticize the trans student’s actions.

In the sister’s post, misgendering the trans student throughout, the sister says the trans student has “a bathroom of [their] own to use whenever [they] wants to use it because [they] doesn’t feel comfortable using a men’s bathroom[…] because other girls won’t feel comfortable.” She also says her sibling had been in the bathroom for "like, an hour."

The sister later posted a message from their mother consistently referring to the trans student with male pronouns while claiming to fully support the student being transgender.

The mother goes on to write that the trans student “doesn’t realize is that [she’s] not the only one who has been effected by all [she] has done in the last 24hrs and the rollercoaster [she] brought us on.”

Wisconsin High School Students Throw Full-On 'Sig Heil' In Prom Photo

(Click image to enlarge)

Folks are kind of flummoxed by a photo taken at the junior prom of Wisconsin's Baraboo High School showing the class's male students doing a 'sig heil.'

Law & Crime points out the event was last spring, but the photo just came to light when it was posted to the Twitter account @GoBaraboo that has since been been made private.

It was posted with the caption, “We even got the black kid to throw it up #BarabooProud.”

One guy in the front was clearly doing the sign for white power:

This kid dead-center is literally doing the "white power okay sign". pic.twitter.com/qyHnf1GzRt

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

Vice contributor Jules Suzdaltsev asked Twitter to help him do a deep dive into the matter, and he began getting private messages from students at the school saying they had seen and heard a lot of racist language while attending the school.

Someone who would like to remain anonymous just sent me this message and picture of herself that was posted by a classmate.

Seriously, what is going on with this school? @BarabooSD pic.twitter.com/pHGbnelHct

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

I am being flooded with messages from students of this school about some of the guys in the group photo.

It sounds like there is a lot of racist bullying and the school tends to do nothing about it. pic.twitter.com/yvPZWI196A

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

One student who graduated from BHS this spring wrote Suzdaltsev saying he could "100% support the claims of racism at that school."

"The use of the n-word was pretty common among a lot of white students, whether jokingly or not," he added.

Another told Suzdaltsev that the day after Donald Trump was elected, students were yelling "White Power!" in the hallways.

Folks did note that one student, in the upper right hand corner of the photo, was clearly not having the moment.

Suzdaltsev spoke with the student, Jordan Blue, who said the photo was taken so quickly he couldn't leave. But he also shared that he'd been bullied by his classmates for years.

"My name is Jordan Blue, I am the boy captured in the photo to the far right. The photo was taken during our Junior Prom Photos. I clearly am uncomfortable, with what was happening. I couldn't leave the photo as it was taken within 5 seconds. The photographer took the photos telling us to make the sign, I knew what my morals were and it not to salute something I firmly didn't believe in. I attend BHS, these classmates have bullied me since entering middle school, I have struggled with it my entire life and nothing has changed. These are the boy of Class of 2019, nothing has been done and my question is... with anything ever be done. I truly & firmly believe we need to make a change to this horrible act, it need to stop. Bullying. Immaturity. And just taking things as a "joke"..."

I spoke with the only student who is visibly not comfortable with the “salute”, he provided this statement. pic.twitter.com/HbNBc8xLOK

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

According to Suzdaltsev, the photographer (identified as local motorcycle photographer Peter Gust) has taken the photo album down from his website and issued an odd message calling out "malevolent behavior on the part of some in society." He seems to be blaming the scandal on folks taking issue with the idea of telling students to do a Nazi salute.

The photographer has removed the photo from his website and updated with this... confusing message. pic.twitter.com/vx4r9Eo1zZ

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

The photo has even received international attention as the Twitter account for the Auschwitz Memorial tweeted, "This is why every single day we work hard to educate."

It is so hard to find words...

This is why every single day we work hard to educate. We need to explain what is the danger of hateful ideology rising. Auschwitz with its gas chambers was at the very end of the long process of normalizing and accommodating hatred. https://t.co/13AzZaMGJR

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) November 12, 2018

Baraboo School District Superintendent Dr. Lori Mueller issued this statement:

The Barabook School District sent the following letter to parents this morning in response to a photo on social media.

Dear Parents/Guardians of Baraboo School District Students:

Early this morning, a photo that was taken last spring of some Barabook School District students who appear to be making extremely inappropriate gestures began circulating on social media. The District has confirmed at this time that the photo was not taken on school property or at a school-sponsored event.

The school district is investigating this situation and is working with parents, staff and local authorities. If the gesture is what it appears to be, the district will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address the issue.

With that, we want to be very clear: the Baraboo School District is a hate-free environment where all people, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, are respected and celebrated.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lori Mueller, Superintendent

Progress For Schools Becoming More LGBTQ Inclusive Is Slowing

GSA bus in Pride parade (image via Flickr/jglsongs - CC License)

According to the 2017 National School Climate Survey from GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), progress in making schools more inclusive and less hostile for LGBTQ students has slowed down after years of improvement.

The survey polled more than 23,000 students across the United States ages 13-21 between April and August of 2017.

The average age of participants was 15.6 years-old and four in ten of those surveyed identified as gay or lesbian.

The results of the survey showed that after years of declining harassment, the improving climate seems to have plateaued (see graphic below).

The data from the survey shows:

• Almost 60% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; 44% because of their gender expression

• Almost 35% of LGBTQ students say they missed a day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe

• 4 in 10 avoided gender-segregated spaces like bathrooms or locker rooms due to safety concerns

• 98.5% of LGBTQ students have heard the term “gay” used in a negative way; 70% say they hear these remarks frequently

• 70.1% of LGBTQ students say they’ve experienced verbal harassment based on sexual orientation; almost 60% based on gender expression

• Almost 30% say they’ve been physically harassed (pushed, shoved) based on sexual orientation; 24.4% based on gender expression

• 12.4% of LGBTQ students say they’ve been physically assaulted (punched, kicked) based on sexual orientation; 11.2% based on gender expression

• 42.2% of LGBTQ students say they considered dropping out of school due to harassment

• 48.7% of LGBTQ students have experienced cyberbullying in the past year

• 57.3% of LGBTQ students reported being sexually harassed in the past year at school

The majority of LGBTQ students (55.3%) who were victimized in school did not report the incident believing no effective intervention would happen or the situation could become worse.

Of the students who did report an incident, 60.4% say school staff did nothing or told the student to ignore it.

One piece of good news: more students reported having a Gay/Straight Alliance (53.3%) at their school than ever before.

The data shows that when a school offers a GSA, LGBTQ students were less likely to hear homophobic or transphobic slurs; saw more intervention by school personnel; and were less likely to feel unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation.

Head over to GLSEN to read the full report.

Dating Out Athletes Celebrate Final High School Dance Together

Hunter Sigmund (L) and Jake Bain (R) in their requisite senior prom pic

For the students dancing the night away at St. Louis' John Burroughs High School senior prom, openly gay couple Jake Bain and Hunter Sigmund were nothing new to see. This was the twosome's fourth school dance together.

Sigmund, a swimmer and water polo player told Outsports, “It was my fourth school dance with Jake and I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend our last high school dance.”

As the school's only openly gay couple, the students and faculty have treated the two athletes just like everyone else, says Bain.

More from Outsports:

“This is the second year he and I have gone together, as well as to our homecoming dance the past two years, so this wasn’t the first time,” Bain, the school’s high school football captain, said.

“We have been the only openly gay couple at Burroughs since I’ve been here, but it isn’t a problem at all at our school. People treat us the same. It is nice to be able to go to prom with whoever you want and not have to worry about what other people might think.”

When the hideously anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church haters announced they would protest Jake for the national attention he garnered as an out star football player, the school, faculty and community rallied around him.

This fall will see Jake begin his college football career for Indiana State University while Hunter heads to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an honors student.

Could they be any cuter?

SNL: Theater Nerds Get Down At The "Crucible Cast Party"

Ok, I can post this in full disclosure that not only did I know these folks when I was in high school, I WAS this crowd.

Saturday Night Live sends up the always painful to remember "high school play cast party." And they nail it right down to the chaste "back rub" that never went anywhere.

Rock on!

Love Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda's rap in the middle of the segment.

Toronto: LGBTQ Posters Cool Transformation When Photographed With Flash

This is pretty cool. God knows the younger crowd likes tech-y, new things.

Via Adweek:

New posters have gone up in Toronto District School Board schools, which include 76,000 middle school and high school students. Launched by LGBTQ advocacy group Toronto Pflag, the posters depict a rainbow that spells out the LGBTQ acronym: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Straight, Queer and 2-Spirited.

When students use the flash on their camera phones to take a picture of the poster, the words are suddenly accompanied by nouns that illustrate LGBTQ folks are people they know, respect and love.

"We wanted to send a positive message to students that we are all more than just our gender identity and sexual orientation," says Toronto Pflag president Anne Creighton. "Our mission is to get students talking about these things, so the novel and shareable nature of this poster was a perfect fit for our message."

Infectious Venezuelam Youth Orchestra Kills It With "Mambo" From West Side Story

A Facebook friend just reminded me of this clip featuring Maestro Gustavo Dudamel conducting West Side Story's "Mambo" with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble, plus Alexis Cárdenas & Ensemble.

There is no way anyone who really knows me could watch this just once. The talent and energy is beyond infectious.

By the way, did I point out these are high school musicians? Over 700,000 kids across the country in Venezuela are in music programs, and almost every village has a youth orchestra.

South Carolina High School Officer Fired For Violating Proper Procedures

Sheriff Leon Lott is currently giving a press conference egarding the South Carolina deputy who flipped a female high school student's desk over then dragged/threw her across the room.

Sounds like he saying a little of, "Basically, she had it coming."

As the press conference goes on, he's drawing an appropriate hard line about the deputy but is stressing the female student 'started' the incident.

I'm just not convinced dragging and throwing a 5'6" female teenager across a room is justified because she wouldn't leave her desk.

Sheriff Lott also mentioned that the procedure Deputy Fields violated was in throwing the student across the room, he lost contact with the student. Not so much the violent nature of his behavior but that he let go of the student.

Hmm....

High School Days

#highschooldays 😈

A photo posted by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanzi) on Oct 23, 2015 at 4:21pm PDT

High School Senior Barred From Bringing Male Date To Homecoming Suspended For Unwanted Publicity

Last week, I reported on the news that Lance Sanderson, a student at Christian Brothers High School, was forbidden from bringing a male date to this year's Homecoming Dance.

Today, he was sent home for the rest of the week for bringing unwanted attention to the school's bigotry.

“I am disappointed that I am unable to sit in class today,” Sanderson told NewNowNext. “While many assignments can be reached online, I was going to take two tests today and an in class timed essay. Tomorrow at CBHS, I was going to meet with admissions representatives from around the country (they do not visit often). I hope to be welcomed back into a classroom setting soon.”

It should be noted that Sanderson did not violate any school policy. When told he couldn't attend the dance with the date of his choice, he decided not to attend.

The school has made a serious misstep by suspending a student merely for speaking out for LGBT students who experience similar discrimination.

Sanderson has shared a copy of the letter he sent off to the school (which he has yet to received a response to):

Dear CBHS Administration,

Today I arrived at school around 6:30am. I sat down to complete my assignments for the classes I planned on attending today. At 7:30am, I was speaking to a teacher when an administrator walked into the room and told me to gather my books and come to the office.

When I arrived at the office I was told that the administration “had 890 other students to worry about” and could not deal with me. I was told to go home for the week. I said goodbye to a few teachers and students, then drove home.

I am hurt by this exclusion. It goes against the Lasallian value of brotherhood that the school is supposed to stand for. You won’t let me dance with my date and you won’t let me go to class now either. I had hoped that today would be one for positive conversation going forward. Instead, I was sent home.

I haven’t done anything wrong and haven’t hurt anybody. I want to be welcomed back to the school building today and I want this mean-spirited semi-suspension ended, so that I can do my classwork like anybody else.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote from a Birmingham jail cell: “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Sincerely,
Lance Sanderson

Short Film: "The Text" ("El SMS")

Coca-Cola's True Friendship campaign, which shows teens how not to be cruel at "crossroads moments," teamed up with Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black on this short film about two teen besties and "that" moment.

From the official description:

In this eight-minute film, a group of teen boys joke and tease each other in the usual high school way about girls, video games and such-like.

Two of the boys are especially close buddies, but Rafael is hiding something from his friend Diego – he’s gay.

When he leaves his phone unattended, Diego reads a text that surprises him.

His decision to cover for his friend, and accept him for who he is, is what cements this true friendship. And, as Rafael points out, gay guys know all the pretty girls.

I have to say: well done. The "moment" has it's tension and the background is laid beautifully. The rhythms of the dialogue feel like those high-school friends we probably still have in our lives today.

Make sure the closed-caption subtitles are on.

Coke and a smile.

Kentucky: Out High School Senior Dalton Maldonado On Being Removed From Yearbook

From the Facebook page of high school senior Dalton Maldonado.

Earlier today, after receiving many good wishes and lots of support from all over the country, I received a call from the superintendent of schools. He told me that I was in the annual fifteen times, and that they may have over looked my senior basketball picture.

He went on to say that they were going to make a new annual and he hoped I knew they were so proud of me.

However, here is the picture that should have been in the yearbook, along with the rest of the senior basketball players!

They took Outsports’ first article about my experience and swept it under the rug, as if the harassment and humiliation never happened!

I refuse to let this happen again! I was a senior point guard who had played for three years, and I was even in the center of the team picture. I don't care if I was in other parts 100 times, my individual picture wasn't in there!

I find it unbelievable that their “investigation” took less than one whole school day and once again they're just letting it go!

I will not stop fighting this. No one deserves this, and I'll make sure no other LGBT teen in Floyd Co has to face this type of discrimination!

Maldonado was the starting point guard for his high school basketball team. After he came out as gay, the school left his picture out of a two-page spread in the year book.

The school claims it was an oversight.

Riiiiiiiiight...

Good for Dalton for standing up for himself.

Read more at Outsports.

James Corden Calls Out Kentucky High School Who

Betsy Layne High School in rural Kentucky honored the boys basketball team with a two-page spread in the school's yearbook.

Well, almost all the team. One senior was left out of the tribute: Dalton Maldonado, the team's starting point guard who came out publicly as gay a couple months ago.

James Corden of The Late Late Show took on the scandal last night during his opening:

“He’s a gay basketball player. Or as I like to call him, ‘a basketball player.’ Because there’s no such thing as gay basketball.”

"If you're a homophobic school, you do not call yourself Betsy Layne High. Betsy Layne sounds like a girl who would LOVE a gay friend"

Dallas Tech High School Students Get Down With Their "Uptown Funk"

Theatre Arts teacher Scot Pankey at the A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School in Dallas organized what looks like an entire school of tech students to get down with their "Uptown Funk."

The video poster on YouTube says, "This is a great example of how a bunch of technology students let go of their fears, trusted their teacher and got down to Uptown Funk!!!"

(tipped by TRR reader Kim)

High School Show Choir Adds KINKY BOOTS To Repertoire

Tony Award winning actor/author Harvey Fierstein tweets today: "When High Schools start performing songs from you show you have LANDED!"

The YouTube description reads, "The North Central High School Counterpoints and soloist Terica Anthony perform Land of Lola from Kinky Boots as part of their 2014 show choir set."

Alright, kids. Change your mind and change the world!

Arkansas High School refuses to include gay profile in yearbook

Taylor Ellis, a high school student in Sheridan, Ark., says administrators refuse to include an interview/profile in the school's yearbook because of his sexual orientation.

The Yellowjacket, Sheridan High School’s yearbook, wrote six profiles of students to run in the yearbook. One of the short features chronicled Ellis’s coming-out story.

Ellis said he wants to get his story out there and he doesn’t understand the problem with printing it. Ellis said Principal Rodney Williams called him a few weeks ago, citing concerns that the story was too personal and that it put Ellis at risk of being bullied.

Now the Human Rights Campaign has addressed the matter. In a letter to the Sheridan School District, HRC President Chad Griffin addressed the issue at hand:

“If not resolved immediately, this act of discriminatory censorship will send a dangerous message to all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in Sheridan, across Arkansas and around the nation -- that they are second-class citizens and their lives are not equally valid. Instead of respecting the wishes of Taylor's fellow students to recognize him in their yearbook, you have told him and other students who may already feel marginalized that they are not an equally valued part of the Sheridan high school student body.

“As an Arkansas native and a former elementary school student in Sheridan, I was taught the Golden Rule – about treating others as we would like to be treated. Whatever you may say about your intentions, it does not change the fact that you have failed to uphold these values that all fair-minded Arkansans share. Addressing bullying requires stopping bullies, not muzzling harmless free expression.”

Sheridan School District Superintendent Brenda Haynes responded in a statement to the Arkansas News:

“We must make decisions that lead in the proper direction for all of our students and for our community. We must not make decisions based on demands by any special interest group. The seven profiles will not be published in the yearbook...It is clear that the adults who have the responsibility for the operation of the district have the obligation to make decisions which are consistent with the mission of our school. We have done so."

Watch the news report from CBS News below:



(source)

California: Transgender teen voted Homecoming Queen

In what may be a first for the country, Cassidy Lynn Campbell of Huntington Beach California was named Homecoming Queen of Marina High School on Friday, September 20.

Marina High School has policies in place to make sure transgender students like Cassidy are able to fully participate at school as their authentic selves, and has embraced Campbell as a part of the student body just like all the other girls.

“I’m so proud to win this not just for me but for everyone out there and for every kid — transgender, gay, straight, black, white, Mexican, Asian,” Campbell said after being crowned. “It doesn’t matter, you can be yourself.”

“Whether I won tonight or not, I was a winner from the beginning and I knew it. I put my message out there. If this can help one child or more or hundreds or thousands or millions, then it was more than worth it,” she said.

The Principal of Marina High School Paul Morrow told KTLA News, “Were proud of the message from home of the Vikings has been one of equity, acceptance, tolerance and respect.”

Last year, another California transgender teen Devon Marchant was on the Katie Couric Show, where she talked about being crowned Homecoming Princess.

Recently, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the School Success and Opportunity Act which makes clear that schools have a legal responsibility to allow all students, including transgender students, to fully participate at school. Anti-LGBT organizations are currently attempting to have the law repealed.

(source)

Gay "Cutest Couple" yearbook pic goes viral

Chelsea, over on her Tumblr account "Singing-Showtunes,"  share the above pic with this note:

"Two of my best friends won Cutest Couple of our senior class. First time in my school history a same sex couple has even been able to run for this category, not to mention winning it. So proud of them, and my school."

"This whole thing has been a bit surreal for us because we have been raised to believe that love is love," the couple tells Huffington Post via email. "We never realized that our happiness and openness would inspire so many individuals. The support we have received from our family, friends, and even strangers has led us to believe that our affection for each other is normal ... When we started dating a year [ago], the thought of a photo of us traveling throughout the world would be a bit frightening, but now we are proud to be part of the LGBT community."


Let's hear it for Dylan and Brad!  AND for their friend Chelsea, who's obviously cool herself.

Missouri teen can bring his male date to prom

Stacy Dawson, a 17-year-old senior at Scott County Central High School in Sikeston, Mo., had been told last year that he couldn't bring his boyfriend due to a line in the school's handbook that said "students will be permitted to invite one guest, girls invite boys and boys invite girls."

Today, the district superintendent has said Dawson, or any gay teen, may bring a same-sex date, the line forbidding it has been removed from the rule book, NBC News reports:

"I found out why the stipulation in the student handbook was originally put in there, and it's rather innocent, to be honest," Alvin McFerren, Scott County Central School District superintendent, said. "This was during a time 10-15 years ago that the previous administration was having issues with some of the students trying to come in on either the single rate or the couple rate. They implemented that to make sure they couldn't circumvent the rates that students were supposed to pay as they entered into our dances."

McFerren said Dawson will be allowed to go to prom with his boyfriend.

"It was never intended to be a discriminatory thing," he said. "We want an educational environment for all of our kids and we're not ever going to discriminate as to whether or not the board has the policy and we don't do that based on sexual orientation. Period."

(source)