[Mb-civic] EducationGuardian.co.uk: Kilt-wearing student banned from prom

[harry.sifton at sympatico.ca]

HS spotted this on the EducationGuardian.co.uk site and thought you should see it.

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Note from HS:

With ignorant school principals like this, no wonder people laugh at America!
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To see this story with its related links on the EducationGuardian.co.uk site, go to http://education.guardian.co.uk

Kilt-wearing student banned from prom
Press Association
Wednesday April 27 2005
The Guardian


An American teenager was banned from a high school prom parade after he turned up wearing a kilt. 

Eric Schulzentenberg was stunned when school chiefs in Alexandria, Minnesota, ruled his Highland dress did not comply with their dress code. 

Male students are required to wear trousers and John Peterka, the school superintendent at Osakis high school, ruled that the kilt fell into the "shorts" category. 

The 17-year-old student, who is not a pupil at the school, was given the option of changing into a pair of jeans before entering the event earlier this month. 

But he elected to accompany his date Jena Schoniger wearing the Clan Mitchell tartan in honour of his grandfather's mother. 

His decision meant he was unable to join her for dinner and had to look on from the sidelines as another man escorted her through the prom procession. 

John told Minneapolis-based WCCO TV he thought the school's ruling was "callous". 

He said: "They should be able to accept other cultures and other ideas. That is what education is all about." 

But he said he was determined to make a difference. 

"You have to set an example, be able to stand up for what you believe in. I made the stand, even though it's a kind of sacrifice." 

The school's uncompromising position ruined the night for his partner. 

Jena told the TV station: "I actually cried. I definitely know that this was not the greatest night of my life. It should be up there but it's not even in the top 10." 

Mr Peterka defended the school's stance and said the board only found out about the potential dress code issue two days before the event. 

But in light of the strength of feeling the case has generated among the Scottish community, he conceded it may reconsider its policy next year.

Brian Wilton, director of operations for the Scottish Tartans Authority, said he was puzzled by the school's decision. 

Mr Wilton said: "From what we've seen, poor young Eric Schulzetenburg was very respectably dressed in his Highland outfit and it seems particularly small-minded and inflexible of the school authorities to ban his appearance. 

"Minnesota has a very strong Scottish community - part of America's 20 million Scots descendants - and it has its own two tartans and a plethora of Scottish associations and events. 

"If school principal Tim Roggenbuck hasn't seen a kilt before - as he stated [in a local newspaper] - we're tempted to speculate on his planetary origins. 

"However, after this little stushie [argument], we don't think he'll make the same mistake again!" 

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited