Texanna Edwards, Tennessee Teen, Wears Confederate Flag Prom Dress, Is Turned Away From Dance (VIDEO)

While one teen's cardboard prom dress was celebrated for its uniqueness, another teen's attempt at making a red, white and blue fashion statement was flagged as inappropriate.

Texanna Edwards, a senior at Tennessee's Gibson County High School, was turned away from her prom last week after appearing in a custom-made dress that resembled the Confederate flag, the Tennessean reports.

The 18-year-old said she was surprised the school didn't allow her to attend the dance in her gown, saying other students regularly wear clothes and jewelry bearing the Confederate flag symbol.

"They looked at me and said, 'You can't go in because your dress is offensive and might start something,'" Edwards told WREG News.

Eddie Pruett, director of schools for the Gibson County School System, said officials feared the symbol might cause controversy at the dance, particularly because there have been "race-related issues" in the past.

"You have to try to do what’s best for every child. Because of past incidents, [Principal James Hughes] felt that by admitting that dress it could cause a problem that night, or it could continue on throughout the school year," Pruett told the Tennessean.

But Edwards says she didn't mean to offend anyone with her fashion choice.

"It was done just for the sole fact that I just wanted a rebel flag dress because I thought it was cool," she told WMC-TV.

The station also spoke with several students from Gibson High School, who said they felt the school overreacted.

School officials told Edwards she could attend the dance if she changed clothes, but the teen refused to do so, according to the Tennessean.

Visit the Tennessean for the full story.

Comments

[Terry Watts]

11:14 AM on 11/20/2012

I just love the irony: screaming about Constitutionality when it comes to a symbol of rejecting that same Constitution.

[tamss13]

02:24 PM on 06/19/2012

What kills me--everyone is claiming this young lady first amendment rights were blocked, but in reality she exercised her right by wearing the dress…then the school exercised their right and banned her from entering.

The freedom of speech is a two way street….you can express yours and I can express mine….just don’t get up-set when I express my rights like the school did in this case.

Can’t believe someone wants to associate with a bunch of losers…

[paulatkinson22]

04:00 PM on 06/05/2012

If people want to get it right... she was not wearing the confederate flag, but the confederate battle flag. Regardless of your position on the story, you should be educated in your argument. Do a little research here to understand the differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America

[novemberboy]

06:28 PM on 05/17/2012

This is RIDICULOUS..... I never in my life thought I would ever see the day when something like this would happen in the SOUTH!!! I would expect something like this to happen in the North but not in the SOUTH!!! That principal must have been a Yankee. The Confederate Flag represents a culture. It represents a people. It doesn't represent hate!

[tamss13]

02:48 PM on 06/05/2012

I don’t understand why anyone would want to wear or represent a loser….the confederacy was a treasonous group that cause was defeated by the United States of America.

Why would anyone think it would be cool to be a traitor to the United States…..I just don’t understand

the confederate flag represents a culture of taitors to the United States way of life

[NutMeg42]

02:55 AM on 04/29/2012

Texanna Edwards isn't being "celebrated for her uniqueness" as Maura Pozek is because Texanna was brandishing a symbol of hatred and oppression. There is nothing hateful and oppressive about cardboard. She knew that the dress was going to be a problem two months ahead of the prom, but she wore it anyway. It was a stunt, and it worked.

[Jonathan Gabriel Chavez]

10:18 AM on 04/30/2012

How would you respond to all of the students who she asked at prom if they were offended and no one felt offended? white or blacks.

[Unrepentant]

01:23 PM on 05/02/2012

That question makes an assumption and extracts an answer from the assumption. You are assuming that NO student was offended by the dress. More likely a small percentage was offended. So at what percent of offended students would you ban the dress?

1%, 5%, 10%?

[thiswouldbeakick]

06:48 PM on 04/27/2012

This happened in TN. I'm not surprised she wore that dress, given location, but I am surprised she was turned away (again, given location). Hahaha, trying to sensitive to race issues when they didn't try before.

[tamss13]

02:49 PM on 06/05/2012

that a good one

[artboxone]

12:33 PM on 04/27/2012

Was the Confederacy based on slavery? Was any aspect of 'southern culture' free from dependence on slavery?

[stuart pyburn]

06:18 PM on 04/29/2012

Your forgetting that slaves were in all the States at the time and that NY was the last state in the Union to give up slave long after the South had lost.

[DevonTexas]

09:20 AM on 04/30/2012

Where on God's Earth could you get an idea like that? NY gave up its slavery in 1788. The American Civil War was fought in 1860-65. And the 13th Amendment ending slavery was passed in 1865. Do the math. How many times did you flunk US History before you quit trying?

[ssaeed]

12:15 PM on 04/27/2012

PS: Texanna- join Jesus! A youth who dressed as Jesus in Tennessee was asked to remove his costume, because it was a distraction to others. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120427/WILLIAMSON04/304270063/Atheist-group-honors-TN-student-who-portrayed-Jesus-as-fictional

Unfortunately, freedom of speech in public or private high-schools is very limited not just when it comes to clothing/costumes youth wear, but also in the case of what they get to learn. It's totally sit the ef* down, and hear me preach to you about science- and I might mention the creation story as the origin of man- but deal with it- because I'm the adult and I'm not going to change my tune. :)

[thiswouldbeakick]

06:45 PM on 04/27/2012

School is supposed to be secular. Jesus should not be at school. Sorry to break it to you, but with the school system there are always constitutional limits. The right to bear arms: would you suggest kids be allowed to carry those on campus too?

And science has proof, therefore it's an educational thing. Stop trying to force your religion into the school system.

[ssaeed]

04:58 PM on 05/14/2012

I agree with freedom of speech and the freedom of religion at the same time....also the seperation of church and state. You made quite a big assumption about me, my comment and my sarcasm. I'm not Christian and wouldn't shove religion down anyone's throat. I'm simply pointing out that the youth wearing a Jesus costume and the youth wearing a confederate flag were both told to leave in a frequent display of adult centric authoritarian system, where they hardly to get to discuss with their peers- what's wrong with this what I'm wearing. I guess instead of being sarcastic, I should have simply written it.

[NutMeg42]

02:50 AM on 04/29/2012

I think it's funny that you are posting this article because it appears you did not read it. The kid who wore the Jesus costume did so on his school's "dress as a fictional character" day. He's an atheist, and he's been given a scholarship from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Yes, freedom is limited on school campuses. Teachers' freedom of speech is limited because as government employees they cannot endorse religion. But that's not why creationism isn't taught in science class. Creationism isn't taught in science class because creationism is not science. It's the same reason alien abductions aren't taught in science.

[ssaeed]

05:11 PM on 05/14/2012

Actually I did read the article- and I read that he got a scholarship from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I was simply pointing out that an atheist student and a conservative student were both told to not to wear their particular costumes in the same week. I understand separation of church and state well, and I don't believe in creationism. So, I think it's pretty presumptuous of you and the other commentator to jump to conclusions based on my comment- which towards the end was supposed to be sarcastic. I'm pointing out that both progressives and conservatives are restrictive to youth when they are expressing themselves in costume.

1. Jesus- atheist/progressive student- told by adult don't wear your costume.
2. Texanna wearing confederate flag- conservative student- told by adult don't wear your prom dress/costume.

I'm simply pointing out the adult authoritarian manner of dealing with youth expression, instead of having a useful conversation where the youth wearing the costumes could have heard from their own peers their opinions and used peer-to-peer mediation to resolve the issue.

Next time, I'm going to write really really simply to explain what I mean.

[Roger]

12:06 PM on 04/27/2012

My friends and i have a great tradition we started a while back. Every April 9, we celebrate the humiliating surrender of the confederate turncoats with a burning of the stars and bars. We make sure to Invite those among us of color to do the actual lighting, a task they take on with relish.

[Stephanie Ladora Burton]

01:33 PM on 12/04/2012

Both sides lost that war. Look at the death toll. It's nothing for anyone to be smug about.

[letsgetsmart]

06:03 AM on 12/05/2012

The ones who lost were the general population. I am sure the rich ones (the ones who owned the plantations and the slaves) were vacationing in europe while this was happening. Saying that the rest were led astray by these self proclaimed elite doesn't say much for their smarts. Saying that the south today isn't still controlled by these self proclaimed elite is voluntary blindness. What does that blindness get you?

[ssaeed]

11:52 AM on 04/27/2012

Rebel flag? Weren't all Americans rebels against the Brits, why not try the national flag, instead of wearing a flag that supports not only a side that lost the civil war, but to many people of color represents racism. Just sayin'......not Grow Up America- but rather Grow Up Southerners!

[bronwinn1021]

11:44 AM on 04/28/2012

The truth.

[tamss13]

02:54 PM on 06/05/2012

I am a fan....nice

[Anna Renee Byrd-Chaffin]

11:00 AM on 04/27/2012

Eddie Pruett, director of schools for the Gibson County School System, said officials feared the symbol might cause controversy at the dance, particularly because there have been "race-related issues" in the past. Ok I copied and pasted that little part right there. But what I don't get if the high school students are wearing the Confederate Flag during school, how is that gonna cause a problem at the prom? It won't,it's just something else taken away from freedom of that teenager that wanted to dress diff. and have some clean fun at the prom. Grow up America!

[stupid humans]

09:31 PM on 04/28/2012

maybe she should have just worn a nazi flag..sentiments are the same...

[Unrepentant]

01:29 PM on 05/02/2012

This should be so OBVIOUS that no one should have to respond but here's the response:

THE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR THE CONFEDERATE FLAG AT SCHOOL AT ANY TIME!

[Gwinn Kilpatrick-Dennis]

11:00 PM on 04/26/2012

I can understand the schools decision but at the same time it was harmless. The Flag has nothing to do with race issues people make th flag about race. The flag is apart of southern hertiage and what she did was unique.

[sdsmike54]

12:02 AM on 04/27/2012

A heritage that was defeated and died nearly 150 years ago. Give it up!

[Gwinn Kilpatrick-Dennis]

01:15 PM on 04/27/2012

It doesn't matter. Southerners still take pride in what happened.

[lawdood]

12:06 AM on 04/27/2012

You MIGHT want to take a history class.

[Gwinn Kilpatrick-Dennis]

01:16 PM on 04/27/2012

I have taken plenty of history classes thank you very much..

[averagezoe]

09:03 PM on 04/26/2012

I find it strange that this took place in a state like TN where most people still adhere to the Civil War mentality and where progress and enlightenment are foreign words.

[April Pells]

08:11 PM on 04/26/2012

The school has a responsibility to safe guard all the students, and if someone is wearing something that would likely be disruptive, they have the ability to prevent them from participating in classes and events. It's why nearly all public schools have a dress code. If she were in a public place and the police were harassing her about her clothes, then I'd have a problem with it, because she has a right to express herself in public places that are not schools.

[shanec90]

10:49 AM on 04/27/2012

Public school = state institution = public property. I know the Tinker decision was overturned years ago, but the message in the decision is still a powerful one in discussions of democracy. Because you're a child and you're in a school building does not deprive you of your Constitutional rights (well, under current case law, it technically DOES, but it shouldn't, to be clear).

[Nec V20]

08:05 PM on 04/26/2012

Does she, or for that matter the author of this article realise that it is NOT the flag of the confederacy but rather the battle flag of the Confederate Army?

Thus wearing it is not making any kind of statement except that of being an enemy combatant.