Pennsylvania School Bars Student from Prom for the Worst Reason
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A Catholic high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania turned away a student from prom on Friday because she wasn't dressed like a girl.
This is Bishop McDevitt High School Student Aniya Wolf in her prom outfit.
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According to WHTM-TV, Wolf, who is a lesbian, was removed from her own prom at Bishop McDevitt High School because her suit was in violation of the school's dress code for the evening, which required female attendees to wear formal dresses.
Wolf told local news outlets that the incident made her feel like "a mistake," despite feeling very accepted by her fellow students on campus, saying to local news media, "I think my experience shouldn't be any different than anyone else's because of something I was born with."
Wolf indicates that she was escorted from the event by a school official, who informed her that she would call the police if the student didn't leave.
ATTN: reached out to Wolf regarding her experience but did not hear back before publication.
Bishop McDevitt confirmed that they had removed a student from the school's prom on Facebook, releasing a statement on Saturday from the high school's administration:
"Without question, we love, respect and cherish all of our students. The dress code for the prom specified girls must wear formal dresses. It also stated that students who failed to follow the dress code would not be admitted. [...] On Friday afternoon, when it was brought to the attention of the school administration that a female student was planning to wear a tuxedo, we contacted her mother in hopes we could resolve the situation. It’s important to note that students who haven’t adhered to the dress code in past years haven’t been admitted to the prom."
Here's the letter Bishop McDevitt sent to Aniya's family before prom.
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In it's Facebook post, Bischop McDevitt also says it will continue to "practice[s] acceptance and love" for all of its students, which has prompted accusations of hypocrisy.
Times are changing.
Some schools are changing their policies, sending a clear message of support for all of their students. A Wisconsin high school adopted a gender neutral homecoming court last year to demonstrate support for gender non-conforming students, removing the titles of "King" and "Queen" unless the winners chose to utilize them.
And a Louisiana-area high school student was allowed to wear a tuxedo to her prom after fellow students circulated a petition asking the school to change their policy barring women from wearing suits.
