Reverse Ban on Same-Sex Prom Dates at La Salle High School

The following petition requests that La Salle High School administrators revise the current “Dance Guidelines,” outlined in the 2009-2010 Student Handbook, to allow students to bring a date of either gender to school dances. As the policy currently stands, La Salle High School is discriminating against students based on sexual orientation.

Previous litigation has determined that excluding same-sex couples from attending dances together violates these students right to free expression guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution [Fricke v. Lynch, 491 F. Supp. 381 (D.R.I. 1980)].

While we acknowledge that a private school such as La Salle has the right to prohibit this practice, we feel strongly that such a ban not only violates students’ constitutional rights, but also fails to align with the stated mission of La Salle High School. This mission states that it is, “based on a deep respect for the individual,” and has as its goal “to encourage each student to develop his maximum potential…” Further, the Belief Statements included in the Student Handbook indicate, “We create a welcoming and safe atmosphere of mutual respect, caring, and friendliness.”

We do not believe that the current policy creates such an atmosphere. Rather, it encourages discrimination, disrespect for individuality and personal beliefs, and an unsafe atmosphere for a diverse student body. To deny a student from attending a school function in the company of person of his choice is to establish a culture of bigotry and intolerance for the range of human experience.