Junior and senior students at White County High School of Cleveland, Georgia elected a transgender student, Willow Polangco-Kenney, as prom king and a cisgender student, Katie Nanney, as prom queen. The school has about 1,140 students. After images circulated online, the superintendent sent a letter encouraging open and respectful dialogue while stating that a student’s personal choices at a school event do not represent a shift in the district’s mission, values, or educational priorities. The superintendent said prom is meant to be celebratory for students and families, that schools set guidelines for conduct and attire, and that there were no violations of the code of conduct. The district said it is not promoting any political or social agenda and remains focused on student safety, academic excellence, character development, and responsible citizenship.
"Junior and senior students at the school (which has approximately 1,140 students) elected the royal couple by vote at the end-of-year dance event. The attendees chose Polangco-Kenney, a trans-femme theatre arts student who was assigned a male gender at birth, as prom king and Katie Nanney, a cisgender Christian girl, as prom queen."
"After images of the royal couple began circulating online, White County School Superintendent Jonathan Stribling issued an April 20 letter addressed to the community in which he encouraged "open and respectful dialogue" but wrote, "Let me be clear: the actions and personal choices of an individual student at a school event do not represent a shift in the mission, values, or educational priorities of White County Schools.""
""School-sponsored events like prom are meant to be celebratory occasions for students and families," Stribling wrote. "While we establish guidelines for conduct and attire, there are limits to how far schools can and should regulate individual expression," he added, noting, "There was no violation of the code of conduct" at the prom."
"He said the district "is not promoting any political or social agenda" and remains focused on "student safety, academic excellence, character development, and preparing students for responsible citizenship.""
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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