James Tate, Shelton High School Senior Initially Banned From Prom, Can Now Attend

SHELTON, Conn. -- A Connecticut high school headmaster has reversed her decision to ban a student from the prom after he broke school rules by hanging his prospective date's invitation at the school entrance.

The girl said yes, but Shelton High School senior James Tate was suspended for posting the invitation on a wall in 12-inch cardboard letters. School officials said it was a safety risk.

Under school rules, because Tate was suspended after April 1, he couldn't go to the prom with date Sonali Rodrigues.

But on Saturday, headmaster Beth Smith announced a policy change. Now, the school decides prom attendance for suspended students on a "case-by-case" basis. In Tate's case, he can go.

Smith acknowledged the "international notoriety" the case received on social-networking sites had an effect. Students also staged a protest sit-in.

Comments

[Polonium84]

10:05 PM on 06/05/2011

This is a bunch of trash. There is no reason why that decision should have been pressured to be changed. Nobody has to be responsible for their actions any more. People wonder why this country is going to pieces all over the place. Pretty soon nobody will have to be responsible for anything any more. It does not matter what his student history or grade point was as that has no bearing on the event that caused the trouble. To allow that decision to be changed is one more example of "Situational Ethics" which is making a mess of this country.

[Max Shaw]

04:59 PM on 05/19/2011

The dude was trying to be original and romantic. I can hardly see how it was a 'safety risk'..what a fire hazard? Cause of construction paper? Please..

As Mitch Hedburg would say, "If you are flammable and have limbs, you are never blocking a fire exit..."

I'm very glad that they reversed the decision. It seems outrageous that the school tool this so seriously.

[armstrong st]

08:35 AM on 05/19/2011

What was a real reason behind James Tate posting the invitation on the wall? Was it a joke? Was he going to brag about it and let all students know whom he was going with to the prom? Anyway, I don't think it was a good idea. If James wanted to say something this way, he could have expressed it in a different way. Steve from www.essaytask.com

[Max Shaw]

04:58 PM on 05/19/2011

He was trying to romantic and original.

[armstrong st]

05:13 AM on 05/20/2011

Exactly! Unfortunately, the headmaster hasn't appreciated such an action and the guy could have missed the prom.

[Judy Skeen]

11:22 PM on 05/16/2011

I graduated from Shelton High school several years ago and really hated that this has happen to this couple. I am so glad that they can now attend the prom. I was never able to attend my prom and sure hope they enjoy it enough for the fun that I missed.. I don't see that a student should be charged for trespassing when they do nothing wrong. What he did should had been a great thing and a sure way to get the school some attention other than what Shelton has been getting attention for. Mr. President, (of Shelton High), thank you for gettting Shelton the attention that sure rocked the world.
Enjoy your prom and please have a dance for me.

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

02:48 PM on 05/16/2011

hmmmm...well, can we move on now?

[markopolio]

01:30 PM on 05/16/2011

This ranks pretty high up there on the things that are news but really shouldn't be news

[JaxReader]

12:03 PM on 05/16/2011

This kid got a off way to easy. Not only should he should have been suspended, not allowed to attend prom, he probably should have also had to spend some time( month or so) in a federal prison to show him why our society has rules that should be followed.

This is just another way for liberals to tear down our society of laws. His horrendous lack of care for following the rules not only put himself at risk, but potentially other students who walked beneath his ladder, (say to try to disprove the pagan superstitions of it producing bad luck wrong). This headmaster 'Beth Smith' should not have succumb to liberal pressure and retreated, but should have reloaded. This is precisely why we need prayer in schools, and should not have public edumacation.

[carmenalex]

12:42 PM on 05/16/2011

Rofl! thanks for the first great laugh of the day!

[montanbud]

01:18 PM on 05/16/2011

You are such a joke....always about Law and Order...you take a story like this into politics...What a bad month for you guys...OBAMA - GETS BIN LADEN......AND RELEASES HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE...I bet you are so mad...even worse no repub polls anywhere close to Obama for prez...and the tea party is showing itself for the toothless joke that it is.....Oh yea the school completly made the right choice and they ARE going to the prom...hahahahah

[markopolio]

01:29 PM on 05/16/2011

My God, I hope this is counter-sarcasm

[JaxReader]

01:33 PM on 05/16/2011

Lefty's are usually better about picking up on satire. ;)

[libwithaclue]

11:43 AM on 05/16/2011

"Shelton High School senior James Tate was suspended for posting the invitation on a wall in 12-inch cardboard letters. School officials said it was a safety risk."

What the f@ck is wrong with this school and the head mistress? Safety risk?? Would it have been Ok if the letters were 11 3/4 inches? That is the stooopidest thing I've ever heard and this woman is an educator?

[Tim Estabrook]

01:16 PM on 05/16/2011

Or how about spray painted on? He used tape, for goodness sake.

[libwithaclue]

01:25 PM on 05/16/2011

Damn right! So he broke a little rule; big whoop. The kid was an honor student, for the love of Mike. Slap him on the hand and making him clean erasers after school for a week. But to suspend him from school and the prom.....?!?!?!!?!? Is this head mistress going through a divorce or menopause or something???? Or is she just the meanest, most clueless principle in the US?

[am10]

05:19 PM on 05/16/2011

I didn't agree with his punishment, but he was about 25 feet up ladder. That is a safety risk.

[libwithaclue]

05:24 PM on 05/16/2011

Ok, finally someone explains the issue. Thanks. And I agree with you about the risk, but the punishment was to sever and handed out in a ham-handed way. F&F

[lisaman]

11:09 AM on 05/16/2011

It was the right thing to do.

[Darsan54]

10:11 AM on 05/16/2011

Amazing. Over-react to one small, incredibly trivial problem and the world calls you on it.

Possibly there was a safety issue here, but how much harder would it have been to simply call the guy in and say, hey nice gesture, but please pull it down. And enjoy the dance. The petty authoritarian moves always amaze me.

[krazygraphics]

11:15 AM on 05/16/2011

Things like this will become more common with the increase in the use of social media... The kid got nearly 200,000 people joining a group and within the group the numbers for the school, mayor, board, etc.. were all posted and kept up so people could call...

A small, trivial problem has undefined proportions once its on the web and in the hands of social media...

[am10]

11:15 AM on 05/16/2011

Unfortunately, we're not allowed to do that anymore. Unscrupulous lawyers and irresponsible clients create stupid zero tolerance rules. They would also cry unfair had she let him off because he was a good kid.

[Salanry]

09:36 AM on 05/16/2011

Thank goodness. I was losing sleep over this all weekend. I mean, this is the real news right here. Who cares about the two wars we are fighting, the suffocating national debt, the attack on labor, or the civil war that is still raging in Libya. I am just happy this kid gets to go to Prom. There is justice in this world after all.

[krazygraphics]

09:38 AM on 05/16/2011

Next time don't click on the Huffington Post Education section... if you want to read about the wars, debt, labor problems, and international problems... there are links you can click above that will take you to those stories...

[daffey]

10:02 AM on 05/16/2011

I would like to think this shouldn't even show up under the education section, except to illustrate our typical approach to 'no rules, just me' attitude nowadays.

[Salanry]

11:08 AM on 05/16/2011

I am interested in education. This should not be news in education. This is a fluff piece about some kid not going to Prom. This demonstrates that nobody takes the professional field of Education seriously, as this is the most popular story in the Education section. And if you think that wars, debt, and labor problems are not connected to education then continue reading your stories on prom, you aren't contributing to the conversation.

[lisaman]

11:11 AM on 05/16/2011

Because we Americans can't think about too many things at once and putting this story at Huffpo ran us one too many and our brains might explode. LMAO!

[AndyPanda200315]

09:34 AM on 05/16/2011

someone explain to me how 12 inch cardboard letters are a safety risk.

[craftycrow]

11:08 AM on 05/16/2011

It was because he had to climb up a ladder to put them up. He could've fallen on broken something on school property. It's stupid, but that's their explanation.

[MaryJane]

01:01 PM on 05/16/2011

It HAD to have been more than that. I suspect he stood on the top where it clearly states, "not a step" or "do not stand here."

[lisaman]

11:13 AM on 05/16/2011

Climbing on the ladder to put them up was the safety risk, punishment was called for but not letting him go to his prom was, IMO, too much.

[PavePusher]

11:23 AM on 05/16/2011

Climbing ladders should be banned! Bubble-wrap overcoats for everyone! Punish anyone who runs with sissors!

[Nosybear]

08:58 AM on 05/16/2011

Yet for every case like this where the organization in question yields to public pressure and does the right thing, there are thousands where the media do not get involved and organizations can exercise their authority unimpeded by logic or fear.

[JamNew44]

08:15 AM on 05/16/2011

Way to go Headmaster. If it is not written in stone you can always reverse a decision and do the right thing. Viewing each dicipline case on an individual basis is exactly what should be done. The one rule fits everything way never works.

[WhatDaBleep]

08:11 AM on 05/16/2011

Headmaster Eh? She should be suspended for having a per---verted title!

[am10]

05:21 PM on 05/16/2011

She didn't create the title.