A nonbinary student was banned from attending their senior prom at a private Christian school in Tennessee because they wore a suit, violating the school’s dress code. On April 23, the teen, B Hayes, posted a photo of themselves in a suit in front of the venue with a sign reading, “They won’t let me in because I’m in a suit.”
The post received so much love and support with more than 24,000 likes and more than 2,000 comments. Hayes' Instagram post also led to local business owners Marcie Allen Van Mol and husband Derek, who run a music and event space, reaching out to help, per Yahoo! Life. Several local business owners rallied together to raise funds and host an “all-inclusive” prom for Hayes and their friends, the news outlet reported.
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The teen has been attending the private school for 13 years.
Hayes shared in their Instagram post that they had been attending Nashville Christian School for more than 13 years.
In the caption Hayes wrote, “my name is B Hayes. im 18 years old and i’ve been attending Nashville Christian School for 13 years. my senior prom was today and i wasn’t allowed in the doors because i was wearing a suit. i should not have to conform to femininity to attend my senior prom. i will not compromise who i am to fit in a box. who are you to tell us what it means to be a woman?”
The Nashville Christian School said all students and families were aware of clothing guidelines prior to the event.
The school's handbook reportedly doesn’t reference pantsuits at special events. In a statement released to Yahoo! Life, however, the school explained there are specific guidelines for dress code for daily attendance and special events. The school statement noted, “all students and families are aware of and sign an agreement to these guidelines when they enroll," per Yahoo! Life.
The statement added that the school does “respect a student’s right to disagree” but that per the school handbook, if they don’t follow the guidelines at “school-sponsored events” they would be asked to leave, the news outlet reported.
Local business owners said what happened to Hayes made them ‘sick’ and they had to step in.
Hayes' Instagram post caught the attention of Van Mol and her husband. Upon learning about the situation Hayes experienced, Marcie Van Mol said she was “immediately sick to my stomach," per Yahoo! Life. The couple, along with small business owner Allison Halley launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to host an “all-inclusive” prom event at AB Hillsboro Village, the news outlet reported.
So far, $34,000 of the $40,000 goal has been raised, and the page notes that any funds leftover hosting the prom would go towards Hayes' choice of charities. The event is set to be hosted May 6 with local R&B singer Tone Stith performing, per Yahoo! Life.
"No one should miss prom. These children have enough to worry about — their clothes and self-expression should not be one of them. Support them, and love them as you would anyone else. They are deserving, wonderful people," Marcie Van Mol said.
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Hayes said they were amazed at the amount of support their post and story has received.
"Knowing that not only the Nashville community is behind me but people all over the country are supporting the issue is incredible to see," Hayes shared in a statement released to Yahoo! Life. "I hope the awareness can bring about positive change and that more students in the future feel strong enough to stand up for freedom of expression.”
Marcie Van Mol described the whole process as “life changing."
"B was a complete stranger three days ago. Getting to them through this process and seeing what a difference we can help make in this 18-year-old's life has been life-changing," she said. "We have received thousands of messages and emails from across the globe from other parents and students who have been in similar situations."
