A mom of an 11-year-old student in the Utah school district has taken to social media to slam her daughter's principal for allegedly forcing her to dance with a boy who made her feel "uncomfortable".
Alicia Hobson explained in the post that her daughter Azlyn told her she was asked to dance by a boy she didn’t like at her school’s Valentine’s Day ball. Azlyn turned him down but was soon told by the principal that she could not say no to him.
“She was so excited in the morning when she left,” the girl’s mother, Alicia Hobson, told The Washington Post. “I asked if she got to dance with the boy she liked, and she did and she was happy. But in the same breath, she was exasperated because she had to dance with the boy she hates.”
In the post, Alicia criticises the Kip Motta, principal of Rich Middle School in Laketown, Utah for denying her daughter the right to choose.
She writes: "This boy has been quoted as publicly saying something very disturbing of a sexual nature. It doesn't matter if it's true or not. It doesn't matter if rumors are terrible and should be dismissed. That's irrelevant. The point is that this kid makes my daughter feel uncomfortable.
"She should not have to stand close to him with his hands on her if she doesn't want to. She has the right to say no to anyone for any reason or no reason. Her body is her body and if she doesn't want to dance with someone, that's her prerogative."
This teenager, who began growing his hair for his ill sister, withdrew from school after being told to get a haircut:The mom continues:
"I understand that the spirit of the rule is give the kids the confidence to ask other kids to dance without the risk of rejection, but guess what? In life, you get rejected all the time. They need to get used to it and learn how to cope with their frustration. Girls HAVE to learn that they have the right to say no and that those around them have to respect that. I'm not going to quietly stand by while my daughter and all of her classmates are being wrapped up in rape culture. No way."
Alicia then goes on to explain that after reaching out to Motta, he told her he would not be changing the policy under any circumstances. Her next step, she writes, will be to contact the Utah Board of Education.
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