Dress controversy: Girls turned away from homecoming dance

STANSBURY PARK, Tooele County — Stansbury High School plans to hold a “replacement dance” and make changes to its dress code after at least two dozen teens were prevented from attending a weekend homecoming dance because of their attire.

“As much as we want to have a certain level of appropriateness and reasonableness, there was never any intention for people to leave heartbroken and disgruntled and confused and frustrated,” Principal Kendall Topham said Monday. “So that apology needed to happen and it did happen.”

Several teens at Stansbury High School wore their homecoming dresses to class Monday in protest of a dress code that got them kicked out of Saturday's dance. They also signed a petition to have the dress code changed to be more specific with input from the student body.

About two dozen girls were turned away from the dance because some schools staff members monitoring the dance deemed their dresses too short or otherwise inappropriate. But the dress code itself is a matter of interpretation.

“It was just utter shock at first,” said Amber Hesleph. “Here we are spending all this time and everything and then we get there and they just turn us away.  It’s just kind of depressing.”

Donna Hesleph, Amber’s mother, said the outcome of the dance for many students was "very sad.” 

“If you’re going to arbitrarily paint scarlet letters all over children, then something has to change,” she said.

Homecoming Queen Erica Alvey was among those turned away. “They told me that it was showing my knees so it was too short, and in order to get into the dance I had to put on leggings,” she said. “So I did, and I got back in the dance, but that was before I realized that this thing was going to turn into such a big issue.”

Students and parents immediately took to the Internet voicing their outrage about what happened. A Facebook page titled Stansbury High Homecoming Spirit Massacre had more than 3,100 "likes" Monday afternoon.

Topham said information about the dress code was included on fliers prior to the dance and was posted on the school’s website. It said: "Reminder: The Formal Dance Dress Code is located on page 30 of the student planner and there are posters up around school showing examples. Students are expected to look their best and dress appropriately.

"Dresses should be at or near knee length. Slits in the dresses should not be any higher than the top of the knee. Strapless dresses are prohibited unless a jacket or shawl is worn. 'Plunging' necklines are prohibited. The backs of dresses should not show more than 1/3 of the back (directly below the armpits). Midriffs should not show in any way. 'Sheer' fabric is acceptable, as long as skin is not showing underneath."

That's what several parents say their daughters wore, and added that the administration wasn't fair in deciding who got to stay for the dance and who was turned away.

“One of our standards for formal wear is that skirts be at or near the knee,” Topham said. “There’s some ambiguity about what it means to be near the knee.”

He said teachers and an assistant principal were enforcing the dress code Saturday.

“There were some dresses that I’ve been informed that were clearly not in compliance,” Topham said. “But there were those that, depending on the interpretation, would be allowed for some and not allowed for others. And so that part of it needs to be fixed and that needs to be addressed. There’s no question about it."