It’s prom season, which means high school students across the country are picking out their fancy dresses and tuxes for the big dance. And while some teenage girls have been planning this for months and bought their dresses long ago, some school dress codes for prom could prevent them from wearing the dress of their dreams.
At Divine Child High School – a catholic school in Dearborn, Michigan – they’ve announced plans to hand out a “modesty poncho” to any female student who shows up to prom and isn’t dressed in compliance with their “standards of appropriateness.” The school has one of the pink ponchos on display for students to preview, along with a note explaining, “If your dress does not meet our formal dance dress requirements – no problem! We’ve got you covered — literally. This is our Modesty Poncho, which you’ll be given at the door. :)”
And hey – we get it – some kids take it too far. But is the school really that concerned that someone might reveal a shoulder or a bit of cleavage? Apparently, yes. So teachers will size up the girls’ gowns as they walk in prom and pass out ponchos to the offenders.
Some students are already planning to buy another dress to ensure that doesn’t happen to them, and others are wondering what’ll happen to those who speak out against the policy and others are calling it shaming. But these teens deserve to have fun on one of the most memorable nights of their lives, not have to worry about if they’ll be forced to wear the poncho, so at least they’re getting a head’s up of what’s allowed.