PROVO, UTAH (ABC 4 News)- It’s a dress Savanna Morey was excited to wear but her dream dress ruined her dream date when Provo High School Prom chaperones told her she needed to cover up, or leave.
Saturday was Savanna’s boyfriend’ Junior Prom. She and Austin had a great group of friends, a lovely dinner, and were in line for the promenade at the Provo Public Library. “We kept moving back in the line so his parents could take pictures of us going down the steps.” Savanna says that’s when the date took a turn she didn’t expect. “The lady stopped me and said that she didn’t see me come in that she needed to talk to me. So she pulled me off to the side and told me to wait there. Then she came back and was snotty about it, saying that I should have known the rules.”
But Savanna says she didn’t know the rules because she is a student from a different high school in another school district. Austin was attending his Junior Prom but attends another school in the district that shares Prom with Provo High School. Her mother Deborah Morey says it could have been handled differently. “She was pretty much called out in front of all of these people. You know, a teenager that is really embarrassing.”
Savanna says there was doubt about whether she and Austin would be able to participate in the promenade. “She wouldn’t let me walk down promenade until I covered my shoulder. She made me stand behind his jacket to where my shoulder was covered.”
They offered to let her stay at the dance if she wore her dates’ jacket or found a shrug or shawl. Savanna says at that point neither of them wanted to stay. “I felt really stupid, everyone was looking at me.”
Deborah and Savanna say they feel the chaperons overreacted.” They did overreact, a lot, they could have just let things slide, but they really overreacted. Nothing was showing. It had a strap and it went all of the way down to my knees.”
Savanna says she wants the money they paid to attend the dance refunded.
Provo School District officials told ABC 4 the dress code, which specifies shoulders must be covered, is published in Provo High School’s handbook, which is also available online. They say Savanna could have stayed at the dance if she would have worn Austin’s jacket or found a way to cover her shoulders. However, they have agreed to refund the couple’s money.
