What if you had spent nearly $1000 on your Prom dress, shoes, and jewelry, bought your Prom tickets, but then your date backed out and you were told by the school that you weren’t allowed into Prom without a date? Well, that’s what happened to one Wayne, Pennsylvania high school student.
Seventeen-year-old, Amanda Dougherty was shocked when school officials from Archbishop John Carroll High School told her that she was not allowed to attend her Junior Prom without a date because of a rule made by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. According to her father, Amanda had been so excited for a couple of years awaiting her Prom to finally arrive. In fact, she was so excited that she started dress shopping around Christmas time, where she spent close to $1000 for her Prom wear and tickets. She even compared dresses with her friends on a Facebook page that was ‘blocked’ so that the guys couldn’t see it.
Amanda Dougherty trying on Prom dressesWhen questioned about the predicament, the office of Catholic Education responded with “there are numerous dances and events throughout the year where dates are not required, but we view the prom as a special social event where a date is required to attend.” What do you think? Should Amanda have been allowed to attend her Junior Prom? How would you have responded if the same thing happened to you?