Recently, the story of a Tennessee teen’s nightmarish prom night went viral, garnering support from all over the country. However, recent revelations indicate that not every event of the night was revealed.
It all began with a Facebook post. Tiffani Taylo r, the mother of one of the attendees of the Maryville, Tennessee prom, posted a picture of a young woman named Amy Steverson, on the social networking site, with a message that began.
“This is Bronte’s friend, Amy. Last Friday night was her senior prom. She spent time looking for the perfect dress, got her hair done, and was meticulous in putting her makeup on. It’s an exciting time! She proudly had her pictures made, and why wouldn’t she? She looks like a princess.”
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It seems that Amy’s prom quickly went from a dream to a nightmare. She was isolated by the administration of the school, and told that her prom dress was unacceptable. She was given the option to either wear the vice-principal of the school’s suit coat, which ironically did not cover her chest, or go home. Further insult was added when her size was then shamed, as a teacher insisted repeatedly that “bigger girls” must “cover up.” As reported by Fox 13 Now , the teen spent time crying in the bathroom before returning to enjoy the remainder of her prom.
Taylor continued, “This young girl was shamed for having breasts. Her excitement during this memorable time other life turned into embarrassment at the hands of the adults who are supposed to be leading her.
The story quickly went viral, with the original post garnering over 12000 shares. Several news stations reported the incident. George Takei, actor and online personality, also shared the story on Facebook. Twitter soon joined into the fray with messages of support.
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Adding fuel to the fire was a statement from a representative of Maryville City Schools. Sharon Anglin stated that the school does not have a specific policy regarding the requirements of teen’s formal wear at prom. The young woman was humiliated because of a seemingly arbitrary decision in which her size was a contributing factor, but the teen’s family has been adamant that neither Amy nor her parents complained to the school in any way.
However, what many outlet’s did not report was that the teen’s dress pictured in the popular and widely-shared post looked much different by the time that she arrived at the prom. As reported by Opposing Views , the dress featured a lace modesty panel. By the time the teen showed up at the prom, the lace panel had torn out. As a result, the dress’ neckline plunged several inches lower and was also significantly wider than in the original photo. The prom dress, without the lace modesty panel, was therefore far more revealing than many originally thought. Profanity-laced Snapchat pictures of Amy at the prom, making obscene gestures, also added to the controversy. Said pictures have since been removed, and the teen’s parents have requested that they not be shared.
As for Ms. Taylor, her feelings have not changed.
“I’m not sure whether it’s the hand gestures, F bomb or the fact that her dress alterations that you want me to be offended by, but I’m not. I see a young girl with tear smudged prom make up standing up for herself saying ‘I feel good. I look good.’ I’m sorry that you don’t’ see the same… I stand by my original thought process that one person should not be singled out.”
[Featured image via Bethany Clark/Getty Images]