See The Dress That Got A High-School Senior Arrested (PICTURES)(VIDEO)

You may have thought your prom night went badly, but Marche Taylor, a high-school student from Houston, Texas left hers in handcuffs, and not for the reasons you might think. According to the Dallas Morning News,

Madison High's prom took place at the Sugar Land Marriot. But Taylor only got as far as the lobby because when she tried to enter the ballroom an official stopped her.

She was told her dress violated a school dress code.

"She shook her head, she was like you are not getting into this prom," said Taylor. "We were arguing back and forth because I wanted to know why I can't get into my prom."

Even after offering to provide more cover, Taylor was still denied access to the final soiree of the school year.

At that point, Taylor said she was furious. After all this was her senior prom. She argued if she couldn't get in, she wanted her money back.

Things got so bad, the next thing she knew, someone had called the police. Officers showed up, handcuffed her and escorted her out.

Taylor was not charged and eventually released.

Here is KHOU's video coverage of her story.

KHOU has more on her prom dress, including photos and video. You can also read more on the prom dress and handcuffs debacle here. Marche Taylor modeling her dress Marche Taylor, left, with her date, right, as she was escorted out in handcuffs A photo of Marche Taylor, left, in her now infamous dress Marche Taylor, left, and friend

Comments

[MariaHopeful]

02:00 PM on 05/12/2008

Where are our problem solving skills in this country? It should not be that something like this ends up with this young girl being hand-cuffed and carted off on one the most important days of her young life. Was there no teacher or young adult who could have taken her into the rest room and improvise so that she could still be allowed in? My daughter would not even have dreamed of wearing something like that out my house. Where was her parent(s)? On the other hand isn't this the message we have been sending our young people, that you have to be as near naked as possible to be considered beautiful or get attention. It is old or middle-aged people/pundits who will praise these (non)ensemble the morning after each red carpet event but now we are ready to tear this child to pieces for daring to be influenced by what she is being bombarded with every single day. This was handled badly all the way around. I am also a bit alarmed and ashamed at subtle and not too subtle strain of bigotry being shown on this post. Would you have had the same response were this a European American?

[Knowitall]

02:00 PM on 05/12/2008

There shouldn't even be a controversy about this one. I'm sure this girl thinks she looked good. She didn't. It's also true that she was probably copying the styles she sees on the red carpet and in music videos. All of that being said, I still believe that most people, even young people, have SOME idea of what's appropriate and what's not. I'd be willing to bet that this girl read the dress code and still decided to show up looking like the poster child for a hot ghetto mess.

For me this situation called to mind an old Dave Chappelle skit, where he in essense said that when someone shows up in a policeman's uniform with a gun and handcuffs, you assume they are a policeman. And when a woman shows up dressed like a hooker, it's certainly possible they're not a hooker, but they sure are wearing the uniform.

[Trittydi]

01:46 PM on 05/12/2008

These styles are promoted and validated on televised and print media. What do they expect the kids want to wear? I do feel it was inappropriate and that she had to know she was pushing the envelope though.

However, calling the police was completely unwarranted and whoever let them handcuff her and take her away is an absolute asshat.

Also - the school DOES owe her reimbursement her for her ticket to the event. If only to make a token gesture to acknowledge how badly they handled the situation.
*

[marciekr]

01:43 PM on 05/12/2008

First, as many have said, this dress is completely inappropriate for a prom dress. When her friends tried to cover her up, they were only covering her waist with the train which didn't address the fact that she was for all practical purposes topless. The school handled it correctly which probably won't help if she decides to sue them.

As far as the handcufss, none of you know how she acted when she got angry. If she was abusive, the handcuffs were appropriate.

Ideally, this should be a life lesson for her but based on her words, I doubt it. Too sad.

[victoria]

01:41 PM on 05/12/2008

Gorgeous girl. Beautiful dress. It's not an innocent prom dress but what is the big deal? I don't see anything exposed, is there? I think she could be a model and maybe all this publicity over nothing will help her.

[Matt7]

01:41 PM on 05/12/2008

The dress, unfortunately, reflects the images fed to today's teens by the music video industry. (The same as with the Marilyn Monroes and movie stars in days of old). Unfortunately, many of today's stars look sleazy rather than sexy or attractive.

The young lady probably thought she looked "cute." Like a pop star. She doesn't realize that the dress (or lack thereof) made her look cheap.

OH, BY THE WAY . . .

Any particular reason why this story JUST HAPPENED to be positioned on the same page, right above the president's daughter, Jenna Bush, in her "lovely wedding gown?""

Compare and contrast maybe?

These kinds of subliminal and overt images and messages are how media controls our thoughts and perceptions without our really realizing what's happening. Sorta like the voters in WV and KY that everyone's so quick to blame and dismiss as "racist" and "backward" . They don't want to vote for Obama. They 're not sure why. They just WILL NOT DO IT . . . (And it’s because of the images that they’ve formed about him, without really knowing him). Sad . . .

[SwingingFromCenter]

01:40 PM on 05/12/2008

I think the only people you'll find who are saying the dress was shameful or horrible or she deserved to be thrown out are your typical puritanical prudes on the extreme right. It was PROM, meaning she was probably 17, meaning she's basically an adult and can choose her own apparel. News flash people, some magical light bulb doesn't wait to go off until you hit 18. You don't learn much between 17 and 18 that turns you into a different person. Furthermore, you see more revealing than that every day in the real world.

[SignedSealedDelivered]

01:37 PM on 05/12/2008

go to jail or go home is a great option...care your a@@ home! this is ridiculous. practice your stripping career on your own time. i am a black woman and i find this appalling and pure trash. are we supposed to feel sorry for her? didn't her parents see her leave the house first! wtf is going on?!

[k6007]

01:39 PM on 05/12/2008

Exactly. The one thing we need in our communities is more Parental Responsibility.

[BarryChamplain]

01:48 PM on 05/12/2008

I am assuming you Black Women don't allow your kids to buy the artistic product of Beyonce or any edgily-attired artists of the day? Tell me, how is THAT going over?

This young lady will be a designer on 7th AV (or someplace) by the time she's 21. She'll be a Name, before she's your age. You'll still be working the day shift, babysitting the grandkids, and clucking your moralistic tongues at everyone skinnier than you.

Tell me again how this creative young woman is disgracing "your" community.

[robXdion]

01:42 PM on 05/12/2008

Your more likely to see Ouannel X (Houston activist) defend this crap, than see anyone address why she was allowed to wear this to a prom in the 1st place. Bill Cosby can't be all wrong.

[robXdion]

01:34 PM on 05/12/2008

Only in Houston, sigh.......she looked terribly tacky, but the handcuffs were too much.

[BarryChamplain]

01:52 PM on 05/12/2008

robX:

SUGAR LAND. Different from Houston. A goldmine of racial horror stories, for many decades.

Notice that KHOU... IN Houston... took a measured and sympathetic approach to the girl. In an age where TV "news" jumps on every tabloidish, tongue-clucking bandwagon there is, this tells you a little something about the jaundiced view of Sugar Land that the real "city" in that area has.

[thebanana]

01:28 PM on 05/12/2008

Whooeee! Where did all the morality cops come from today?

[ObamaCanada]

01:25 PM on 05/12/2008

She looks terrible in that dress I agree with the prinicipal this is not the American Music awards. At least dress decent.

[k6007]

01:29 PM on 05/12/2008

I agree. You can be sexy without leaving the house naked.

[Trittydi]

01:51 PM on 05/12/2008

Yes - unfortunately the dress was not even flattering to her.

I feel it's poorly designed and that train is ridiculous. Clearly she was going for a highly dramatic effect which would be noticed and remarked on. She got that part right..
*

[landmine]

01:24 PM on 05/12/2008

As an art lover: Wow! Work of art!
As a nature lover: Wow! Beautiful species!
As a Christian: WoW! Example of Gods best!
As a dogmatic, victorian redneck: Sorry, my constipated brain is too f**ked up to say anything intelligent.

[jubo]

01:35 PM on 05/12/2008

Simply splendid.

[alex13a]

01:23 PM on 05/12/2008

The girl looks extremely pretty in it and it is neither see through nor showing any inappropriate body part.

I agree she should have worn panties but banning her from entry is downright stupid, she would have made many heads spin once inside.

[jgalvan]

01:30 PM on 05/12/2008

Shouldn't you be playing in recess right now?

[k6007]

01:30 PM on 05/12/2008

Personally, I think it was tasteless.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

01:18 PM on 05/12/2008

Would those of you defending the outfit similarly defend pasties?

How about some duct tape squares for us nerds?

[Trittydi]

01:54 PM on 05/12/2008

And a duct tape thong.
*

[mrman]

01:18 PM on 05/12/2008

Granted...her parents need to be slapped. BUT the school should have given her the option of changing of getting her money back. After all she's still in high school and with all the magazines showing this kind of thing as "fashion" and no parents to teach her better...she should have been given the benefit of doubt. and P.S....KBR all young black women DO NOT THINK THIS IS THE RAGE>>and you're an idiot for believing such foolishnis.

[Seattlelite]

01:33 PM on 05/12/2008

I just can't believe her parents would allow her to wear that dress -- good grief didn't her mother teach her to dress for the occasion -- this was no high school prom dress, more like a outfit for a night out in the red light district.

[Trittydi]

01:56 PM on 05/12/2008

Maybe that's why the police were called -- maybe they wanted her out of the lobby.

When you can't tell the guests from the hookers . . . .
*

[Nardwilly]

01:41 PM on 05/12/2008

I believe she knew the rules and thought she could get awaay with it. I also believe she should not get her money back because she knew the rules. Apparently she would not leave and so the police were called to escort her from the building. Her performance interrupted the fun for everybody else.

I believe her actions were selfish.