This High School Student Was Told She Couldn't Wear a Tuxedo to Her Prom and People Are Outraged

Claudetteia Love says she will miss the dance this month because of dress code

High school prom can sure bring its share of ups and downs.

From where to eat for dinner to which group to tag along with, the special dance is enough to cause both stress and excitement for any student.

But for senior Claudetteia Love, all of the highs and lows that come with prom may not be made possible because her high school won't approve of her outfit.

The Carroll High School student revealed to The News Star that she will not be attending the final dance this month because she isn't allowed to wear a tuxedo.

"I told my mom, 'They're using me. They put me in all these honors and advanced placement classes so I can take all of these tests and get good grades and better the school," the openly gay student explained to the local newspaper. "But when it's time for me to celebrate the fact that I've accomplished what I need to accomplish and I'm about to graduate, they don't want to let me do it the way I want to."

When Love's mom Geraldine Jackson talked to Principal Patrick Taylor about the school's rule of no tuxes for girls, she wasn't exactly satisfied with the conversation.

"He said that the faculty that is working the prom told him they weren't going to work the prom if (girls) were going to wear tuxes," Jackson recalled. "That's his exact words. 'Girls wear dresses and boys wear tuxes, and that's the way it is.'"

After the school's superintendent Brent Vidrine heard about the rule through the newspaper, he immediately stepped in hoping to resolve the situation.

"As school board president, I don't agree with Carroll banning her from her prom just because of what she wants to wear—that's discrimination," he said. "As far as I know, there is no Monroe City School Board policy saying what someone has to wear to attend the prom. You can't just go making up policies."

The U.S. Justice Department has now stepped in by talking to Monroe City Schools attorney Doug Lawrence. The school board plans to hold a news conference to share any updates as early as Wednesday.

And for those curious, Love is already expected to attend Jackson State University in the fall on a full academic scholarship.