Brokeback High
UPDATE - APRIL 29th
Today, the day before Prom, the school is telling me that I can not attend Prom, even though for the past couple weeks I've been checking in with the Dean of Students to make sure it was cool that I still attend.
The agreement for me to attend Prom and graduate was that I have perfect attendance, which I've had. I have attended every class since I've been back in school after Brokeback High. About a week ago, I was marked tardy in my guitar class. Today, I talked to the guitar teacher and he admitted that it was probably just an oversight. He wrote me a note to show to the administration saying that I've been consistently on-time to class and he probably just made a mistake when taking attendance.
The other tardy that's in question is from yesterday morning. I arrived to school a few minutes late because of an unrelenting nose bleed I had. My mom called in yesterday morning and excused that with the office.
I am slightly late to my early bird credit recovery class; there is no school bus that early in the morning so I have to get a ride to school with my dad on his way to work, whose own schedule prevents me from arriving precisely on time. Part of the agreement when I came back to school a month ago was that it was okay for me to be a few minutes late to that early morning class.
What really irks me is that just a couple of days ago, I was told by the administration that I could attend Prom. Why the day before do they decide to exclude me? The first tardy that came into question today was on April 21st, yet I met with the administration earlier this week and they said I was clear to go to Prom. Why did they suddenly change their tune?
On top of not being able to go to Prom, they also suspended me today. I wanted to talk to my counselor about this whole mess but they refused to allow me to discuss it, forcing policy on me without a parent or lawyer present just like last time. When they demanded I go back to class, I refused, telling them I wanted to talk to my counselor. I was then suspended for 'disobedience' and escorted off-campus by school security.
Had I been notified two weeks ago that I could not go to Prom, I would not have paid for tickets, rented a tux, or allowed my girlfriend to pay for her dress. If the administration gets their way, she'll miss her senior prom because of a grudge the school has against me.
I don't know what I'm going to do about the suspension, but I do know I'm going to Prom. If I have to do it with my lawyer in tow, then so be it.
Brandon Flyte
All images Copyright © Brandon Flyte 2006.
brandonflyte@hotmail.com
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