No Kilts Allowed?

[davedove]

Yeah, talk with the school, but realize that they probably weren't even thinking about kilts when the policy was written. Because this is a kilt forum, we obviously focus on kilts, but for a lot of people they are not a consideration. The policy was probably written to keep the boys from showing up in shorts, sweat pants, or who knows what else.

[MacSaorsa]

I agree with Dave, the policy was probably written to address something else and was written vaguely so there wouldn't be any loopholes. Unfortunately the Law of Unintended Consequences reared its ugly head.

I also concur with the pre-prom discussion idea. Have a meeting with the principal, show him/her some photos of outfits similar to what your son would be wearing, and ask if that would be acceptable. If the answer is no, pull out the big guns (not literally). Show this photo of HRH The Duke of Rothesay (more commonly known as Prince Charles) and ask if he would be turned away because of his attire:

[Nighthawk]

Bah!

I'm with Nighthawk here. Schools have been forced to bend before. Last year a young lad in Canada cracked his school board with a facebook page, a little local (and international) news coverage and a big bump from sites like this.

Rules are there for a reason, but rules without circumstantial exceptions = tyranny, IMO.

Sew up his kilt, and if you do the ground work setting things up... WE'LL make sure you get enough facebook hits and letters to the school board to SHAME them into line.

This is why we here at X Marks are my real clan. I will be fast to sign up to any FaceBook made for this! Heck, friend me on FaceBook anyway if you have an account! Look for Travis Butterworth or Colorado Celtic Weddings. There are some great pics of Highland formalwear on my FB page. Here are 2 from a recent wedding Denver wedding:



No I'm not short. The groom is over 7 feet tall!!



As always, I hope this helpful!

[ForresterModern]

There are two basic approaches to the situation.

My old boss, who works for me now since I am the boss, believes in the "better to ask forgiveness than to have to ask permission" approach, which in your case would be do all the work, keep it quiet ,and just have him show up kilted daring the prom officials present to refuse him entrance. Having some personal experience with this approach failing miserably (anybody remember my "Kilt Denied at Royal Troon..." thread will remember the outcomes of that endeavor) I would suggest the second approach as more likely to have a successful and satisfying outcome.

Second approach is as many have already said, a pre-emptive visit with the principal and or school board, well armed with the information about the previous similar cases that have been court approved, with the pictures of what kind of attire your son will be wearing. I would also suggest a hush-hush approach around school for both you and your son, even with his friends, for now as once teens find out someone will be wearing a kilt the local nefarious ones may start hatching plans against either your son for embarrassment sake or otherwise to disrupt the prom by showing up in cheap knockoffs or even frankly in womens' skirts just to press the issue with the officials. NO reason to give idiots ammunition that might make your son's experience diminished in its enjoyment. It might be worth quietly tryingto martial support from a select but respected group of school teachers who know your son and would be supportive of his efforts as well, as long as this can be kept on the down low. They may be able to speank on his behalf in support of his endeavor. As others have said, in talking to the officials I would start soft with the explanation of his anticipated attire with pictures and an explanation (hopefully well founded) as to why he desires to attend kilted first, the request based on that information, and when/if you get rebuffed step it up a notch with the legal precedents, phrases like cultural prejudice, drop the name of a prominent attorney that you may have (in preparation) already discussed the case with (often times the initial legal consultation is free), and any suggested actions or facts he/she may have suggested, and leave the actual threat of legal action be the last thing in your armamentarium. Negotiations always work better when the weapons are sheathed or holstered and no one feels threatened. If brought out too early the threat of legal action causes most public officials to retract from civil discussion into the shelter of their own legal support.

I cannot stress how important it is for you and your son to try your best to keep this as quiet as possible, so as not to allow a stir to incite possible other actions by other students which could torpedo his chances to attend the prom kilted. At least until the time comes near enough that, if you are not achieving success, public humiliation of the school officials is the only tool you have left, then by all means go to the media about it.

Lastly, as well as I know the rule that it is nobody's business what a man wears beneath his kilt, I think it would be more than appropriate in this situation to guarantee to the school officials that your son will be ploperly clad beneath his kilt, preferably in something that by itself would be acceptable in normal social situations, like a pair of spandex warm-up or cycling type shorts in a suitably dark color. Although they may not say it, officials always have these things in the back of their minds as potential scenarios that they would have to deal with, and removing that fear up front could only help support your cause as being well thought out with all concerns in mind.

Whatever you do don't let anybody describe the kilt as a dress----it is a male piece of clothing, and one to be worn with pride, as I am sure your son will, especially knowing that his mother has gone through so much effort to make it and insure that he could wear it to this momentous event.

Best of luck. Please let us know if there is anything we can individually do to support your son's cause---we are not beyond writing letters to the principal, school board, or the media, when appropriate and felt needed. You will be amazed at how fast this can spread across our little kilted world.

jeff

[Riverkilt]

If the school is publicly funded I'm guessing they have a series of policies written and one of those policies will give a nod to "diversity."

Back when a California University professor was denied the right to wear a kilt. He went to his Clan and an attorney who was a clan member wrote a letter threatening a law suit. The prohibition was lifted.

Running a school with Federal funds brings an obligation of tolerance of diversity - check it out.

If it helps any, I have a collection of pics of kilted prom guys I'd be happy to email.

[McMurdo]

Last year in southern Alberta Hamish Jacobs had the same issue, below are the links to the facebook page created a few news links and an online petition. I hope this helps, I'd say the best thing would be to talk to the school board and see if you can solve the problem before the big day, explain to them the importance of your family heritage and bring photos to drive the point home, also it may help to assure them that your son will cover up underneath his kilt.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ham...14277515281104

The Calgary Sun:
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber.../14049921.html

The CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/albertaatnoon/2010...-his-kilt.html

also an online petition http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/...r-no-kilt.html

[Zardoz]

As a long-time barracks lawyer, I'd like to see how the "trousers only" part of the dress code reads. I'd have thought anyplace in So-Cal would be pretty PC and culturally diverse etc...

[seanachie]

I am just north of you in LA County...I agree with the comments earlier in the thread that here on the loony left coast the argument about diversity should carry weight. I definitely agree with the comments on the dashiki. And just so my comments are not misconstrued, there is an African gentleman who attends my church. He frequently wears a dashiki but he stands out, and he often takes up the collection. I think at times he feels self conscious and will go a few weeks in western clothes. As I am always kilted I encourage him to wear his dashiki and give him lots of positive feedback.

If this people dig their heels in I would be calling the LA Times and asking for the columnist Steve Lopez. If anyone is boneheaded enough to deny you, this is a topic right up his alley.

[auld argonian]

Oh boy...here we go again...no offense to you, ma'am, because you're doing the absolute right thing but what do these school admins think is goin on?

One of the objections that I've heard when these cases come up is that the kilt is somehow going to be a "distraction"...like there won't be other distractions at a prom? Whenever I've shown up for an event where I was the only one in a kilt, it has been a distraction...for about ten minutes and then things go on pretty much as usual and I might as well be wearing p*nts. They obviously have very little faith in the short attention spans of young people these days.

Seriously, I'd think that they'd have better things to worry about like attendees showing up intoxicated, for example...

Best

AA

PS: perhaps there should be a kilted prom sticky in the FAQ's...all of the sage advice distilled into one convenient post...

[Nighthawk]

AA

PS: perhaps there should be a kilted prom sticky in the FAQ's...all of the sage advice distilled into one convenient post...

Good idea! ForesterModern already distilled it all. What a brilliant post!!