IL school board tells student: No Kilt at Prom.

**GreenDragon** · 28th March 12, 12:48 PM

http://www.bnd.com/2012/03/28/211914...s-student.html

GRANITE CITY, Ill. -- A southwestern Illinois school district has denied a student's request to wear a kilt to senior prom in recognition of his family's Scottish heritage.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/He53la) reports that the Granite City School Board on Tuesday said no a second time 19-year-old William Carruba's request to wear the frock he bought made out of his family's tartan.
School administrators say the kilt is nontraditional and don't fit into the district's dress code.

Carruba says he understands the decision and will wear pants.
The denial of Carruba's request had led to some public outcry on blogs and social media.
Carruba attended Tuesday's meeting in his new kilt and apologized for the attention the issue has brought the school.

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Forget that! Don't ask permission! Just do it!

**cessna152towser** · 28th March 12, 01:05 PM

request to wear the frock he bought made out of his family's tartan.

Looks like a poor piece of reporting. Since when did a kilt equal a frock?

**Mirthlesstroll** · 28th March 12, 01:14 PM

Yes, a frock is a style of dress - worn by women.

**Zardoz** · 28th March 12, 01:19 PM

It came out at the meeting that another student wore a kilt to the school's prom in 2004, and that another wore one to the school's homecoming dance. The principal said if that happened, the garments had not been 'approved' by school officials.

So again I stand by my proposition that it’s better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

**Harold Cannon** · 28th March 12, 01:30 PM

I think it is sad that our heritage is discouraged or not permitted at all in PUBLIC schools.

I dare say that if another student with a different ethnic background or heritage wanted to wear their national dress it would be permitted for sake of being politically correct. The fact is that some or our educators are quite uneducated when it comes to this matter.

I had a similar problem in high school. I decided to wear my kilt to school and my principal and assistant principal both wanted me to go home and change. Then I pulled out the school handbook where it clearly stated that no student shall be discriminated for their ethnic background or heritage.

That shut them up really quick.

**GreenDragon** · 29th March 12, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by Harold Cannon

I think it is sad that our heritage is discouraged or not permitted at all in PUBLIC schools.

I dare say that if another student with a different ethnic background or heritage wanted to wear their national dress it would be permitted for sake of being politically correct. The fact is that some or our educators are quite uneducated when it comes to this matter.

I had a similar problem in high school. I decided to wear my kilt to school and my principal and assistant principal both wanted me to go home and change. Then I pulled out the school handbook where it clearly stated that no student shall be discriminated for their ethnic background or heritage.

That shut them up really quick.

Good work, sir!

**dea3369** · 29th March 12, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by GreenDragon

http://www.bnd.com/2012/03/28/211914...s-student.html

Forget that! Don't ask permission! Just do it!

What's that saying about forgiveness and permission?

Non-traditional? What a bunch of hogwash! As I posted elsewhere, one cannot judge another by what that other person is wearing. First, Mr. Carruba BOUGHT his kilt. Most likely, the other males in attendance simply RENTED their tuxes. Second, that's his family tartan. Can those wearing a tux say that about the color of their suit?

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 29th March 12, 06:02 AM

The school did the right thing -- they established one set of rules for everybody; no kilts, no dashikis, no kimonos, no buckskins and feathered head dresses. The idea is that the prom is a formal dance, not a costume party, something it would quickly turn into if everyone had the option of dressing in "ethnic" attire.

**Blackrose87** · 29th March 12, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown

The school did the right thing -- they established one set of rules for everybody; no kilts, no dashikis, no kimonos, no buckskins and feathered head dresses. The idea is that the prom is a formal dance, not a costume party, something it would quickly turn into if everyone had the option of dressing in "ethnic" attire.

I'm not really sure about that. The kilt is formal wear, and is definitely appropriate for a formal event.
Even in the part of Ireland I'm from, where kilts are rarely seen, there was no problem at all with one of my friends wearing a kilt to our formal (he was from Inverness). In fact he was actively encouraged by the orangisers to do so.

**biblemonkey** · 29th March 12, 06:27 AM

What I thought interesting is that the school board at one point was quoted saying, "we are encouraging men to dress like men" when my favorite line of "The Repeal" is, "we are no longer bound to the unmanly dress of the lowlander" meaning they could once again wear kilts openly. Hmmmm.

This leads me to posts where it was suggested that the kilt was discouraged because of it's ethnic attire qualities or costume like use by some. Not so according to the reports I read. They viewed it as a dress and not as manly wear and that's the main reason it appears they decided as they did. Bear in mind this isn't hearsay or guesswork on my part. It is the actual stated reason of the school board during one of their meetings.