Gay Lake Hamilton Student Removed from Dance for Cross-Dressing
By: Josh Berry
Updated: March 5, 2013
A 15-year-old student was kicked out of his junior high school dance. The teen says because he's gay and wanted to wear a dress.
An apology and understanding is all the family wants, but there are quite a few people out there who are asking that the two administrators responsible lose their jobs.
Over 2100 signatures have been placed on an online petition requesting the Lake Hamilton Principal and Assistant Principal be fired for kicking a gay teen out of his dance.
This all started when 15-year-old ninth-grader Gavin Combs decided to wear a dress to the Lake Hamilton Junior High School dance.
Combs says after he had already paid to get in and was welcomed by friends, the two school administrators told him they wouldn't have it and that he had to leave.
"I think it is because of what I was wearing and what I identify as, and they didn't necessarily like that so they were going to remove me," Combs said.
His mother isn't asking that the two employees be fired, like the petition requests, but that they admit they were wrong and apologize for kicking her gay son out of the dance for wearing what he says represents who he is.
"If you're wrong, say you're wrong," Regina Combs said. "Admit you were wrong, show me what you're going to do to change that, to fix that."
The Lake Hamilton School District has responded, addressing a situation they say arose when a male student was cross-dressing in a dress and high heels.
The emailed statement from Superintendent Steve Anderson said:
A situation took place this past Saturday evening at a non-academic extracurricular activity at Lake Hamilton Junior High School involving a male student cross dressing in a dress and high heels. The student was denied admission to the dance. Without prior knowledge that this was going to take place, the building administrators made a spur of the moment decision based on an attempt to avoid a possible harassment and bullying incident and that they felt this was not appropriate attire for this activity. As superintendent, I was consulted and approved of their decision.
Since Saturday night, we have had the opportunity to get legal guidance and to research similar situations that other schools have faced across the country. In the future, similar instances will be handled in a different manner. Additionally, we will be re-examining our school policies and procedures as well as staff training on related matters.
The family agrees this is a step in the right direction but say they want to ensure that the district educates themselves on students like Gavin who are gay and feel should be able to express themselves in that manner.
An apology and understanding is all the family wants, but there are quite a few people out there who are asking that the two administrators responsible lose their jobs.
Over 2100 signatures have been placed on an online petition requesting the Lake Hamilton Principal and Assistant Principal be fired for kicking a gay teen out of his dance.
This all started when 15-year-old ninth-grader Gavin Combs decided to wear a dress to the Lake Hamilton Junior High School dance.
Combs says after he had already paid to get in and was welcomed by friends, the two school administrators told him they wouldn't have it and that he had to leave.
"I think it is because of what I was wearing and what I identify as, and they didn't necessarily like that so they were going to remove me," Combs said.
His mother isn't asking that the two employees be fired, like the petition requests, but that they admit they were wrong and apologize for kicking her gay son out of the dance for wearing what he says represents who he is.
"If you're wrong, say you're wrong," Regina Combs said. "Admit you were wrong, show me what you're going to do to change that, to fix that."
The Lake Hamilton School District has responded, addressing a situation they say arose when a male student was cross-dressing in a dress and high heels.
The emailed statement from Superintendent Steve Anderson said:
A situation took place this past Saturday evening at a non-academic extracurricular activity at Lake Hamilton Junior High School involving a male student cross dressing in a dress and high heels. The student was denied admission to the dance. Without prior knowledge that this was going to take place, the building administrators made a spur of the moment decision based on an attempt to avoid a possible harassment and bullying incident and that they felt this was not appropriate attire for this activity. As superintendent, I was consulted and approved of their decision.
Since Saturday night, we have had the opportunity to get legal guidance and to research similar situations that other schools have faced across the country. In the future, similar instances will be handled in a different manner. Additionally, we will be re-examining our school policies and procedures as well as staff training on related matters.
The family agrees this is a step in the right direction but say they want to ensure that the district educates themselves on students like Gavin who are gay and feel should be able to express themselves in that manner.
