Osakis Minnesota is a beautiful small town located in the heart of the lakes in West Central part of the state. This week, this small town came under fire for their requirement, that girls wishing to attend the prom, submit a photo of themselves wearing the dress for prior approval, the boys were not required to submit a photo of themselves in their prom attire for approval.
It was straight out the movie Footloose
The news article was shared on Facebook, and the outrage was immediate. The obvious discrepancy between the boys and the girls garnered, a significant amount of negative comments.
This move by the school was supposed to prevent embarrassment, for the girls attending the prom as they wouldn't be turned away at the door. The recommend Dress Code for the gentleman is a tuxedo, suit, or dress pants, shirt and tie and that was it. The girls dress code for prom is formal dress, the dress should be no shorter than, fingertips, when arms are hanging straight down at the sides, also no tennis shoes, sunglasses or hats, these items were not included in the boy"s dress code.
Shouldn't it be the parent's responsibility?
My daughter attends the Osakis school, and thankfully this isn't something I need to worry about for a few years. But as a parent,I think that I should be the one that decides what she wears.
I am uncomfortable with the idea of these girls having to have their pictures taken and then sent into strangers to critique. As well as the double standard that boys do not have to submit a photo. Fashion has changed, I see many brides wearing tennis shoes under their bridal gowns, apparently the Osakis High School prom is more formal than a wedding.
The power of social media
The story was shared over 115 times within the first few hours of posting, it made across the state, and was picked up by news stations in the Twin Cities. The article had over 200 comments, with approximately 98% being negative and outraged. By the next morning,the school and the school board were deluged with calls from local citizens expressing their opinion.
By the end of the day, the school made a statement that it would not be requiring the photo from the girls, and then stated it was the outgoing superintendent that put the policy in place, not the current superintendent. The rest of the dress code still stands.
