Despite Student Claims, Harford County Public Schools Denies Plans to Bar Same-Sex Couples at School Dances

Is Harford County Public Schools planning a ban on same-sex couples at school dances? School administrators on Friday denied any such action was under consideration, a day after students acting on the rumor began organizing opposition.

Students who believed would be implemented at all county schools, starting a Facebook page called “Allow Same-Sex Couples to HCPS Dances” with the following description:

We support the first amendment, and gay couples should have that too!
HCPS has decided to make a new rule banning same sex couples, whether gay, or going as friends to school dances. PLEASE visit their website, and send them an email!! Contact them to make this stop!

Talk of a ban flew around C. Milton Wright High School in Bel Air on March 17 and the Facebook page popped up later the same day, with some students questioning whether the rumors were true. The authors of the Facebook page cited a posting on the Harford County Public Schools Web site indicating that the school board would be deciding the issue. They claimed the posting was up in the afternoon, but was later taken down.

Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications for HCPS told The Dagger that the school board had no plans to discuss the issue—and is, in fact, barred from doing so by anti-discrimination rules:

It has come to our attention that a false rumor is circulating regarding Harford County Public Schools denying students full choice of their Prom dates and/or dance partners. The HCPS Anti-Discrimination Policy prohibits discrimination of any kind on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. As such, it is not the intent of the Board of Education of Harford County, nor any school administration, to become involved in these matters.