These flyers, which were signed by the school principal and sponsored by a local crisis pregnancy center and a Catholic health care provider, were distributed at Lincoln High School, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin before the big night on Saturday.
Hemant Mehta at Patheos spoke to Kelsey Schindl, a senior at the school who, funnily enough, did not much appreciate having her character equated with her virginity. She asked the principal if she could create an alternative poster — one with a more positive message that doesn’t suggest the dance’s theme will be Return to the 1950s. He said no, because it would “tear at the fabric of society.”
In addition to being sexist and paternalistic, since the posters were sponsored by religious organizations and Lincoln High is a public school, they’re also illegal — unless the school allows posters offering opposing views as well. After receiving a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation reminding them of that fact, the school district removed them.
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