Is Hernado High behind the times?
Student not allowed to run for prom king ‘wanted a chance’
Kenzie Ellenberger doesn’t identify as a boy or a girl.
“I don’t really identity to anything. I just use girl pronouns because it’s easier,” said Kenzie, 17.
Which is why the senior wanted to run for prom king at Hernando High School, while her girlfriend fellow senior Mallory Boone, 18, ran for prom queen.
It’s a tradition at Hernando High that couples run for prom royalty and share the spotlight if they win, Mallory said.
“People told us last year that we should have voted each other onto the ballot. We sort of took it as a joke. This year, we decided that Hernando needs a change like that. They’ve never had a gay couple as prom king and queen,” Mallory said.
Decision was devastating
So the couple asked principal Duane Case if Kenzie could run for prom king and were surprised when he said yes.
The next day, they said Case took it back, explaining that the ballot specifically says the prom king is a boy.
“It was pretty devastating. It was pretty upsetting,” Kenzie said.
And, the votes she already gotten were disqualified.
Case didn’t respond to a request for an interview, DeSoto County Schools did release this statement:
“At Hernando High School, seniors are nominated for prom royalty by their peers. School administrators were asked about a couple that wanted to be Prom King and Prom Queen. Students were informed that individuals, not couples, are elected to the court. Using an online nomination process, students select one male and one female student to represent the senior class. This process ensures that both males and females can participate and serve on the court.”
Even Kenize’s parents couldn’t get the school to allow her to run.
And they tried, said Kim Ellenberger, Kenzie’s mom.
“So we’ve talked to him. I’ve talked to him twice, my husband has talked to him as well. We tried to offer options and suggestions and we were shot down all the way,” Ellenberger said.
Boys would be left out
The school officials contended that if the both girls were allowed to run on both ballots, the boys could be left out altogether.
“We suggested that they take gender completely out of it and have prom royalty. He said that’s not fair because if it opens up, two 2 girls could wind up being crowned every year,” Ellenberger said.
She’s “heartbroken” for Kenzie, a straight-A student, who plays flute in the school band, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
“People say it’s a sin and she’s going go to hell and that’s bullying. We’ve had bullying in school. You expect it from the kids. You don’t expect it from the adults, but it does happen,” Ellenberger said. “I want my child to be able to do SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2018 what everybody’s else child does without having to fight every step of the way.”
Her mom hopes the school will change its rules to allow future samesex couples to be prom royalty.
Winning wasn’t the point
“I would like for it to be a level playing field for all of them,” Ellenberger said.
The prom is Friday night and Mallory and Kenzie will be there.
Kenzie’s tuxedo has been approved by the school. Her navy blue accessories will match Mallory’s navy blue dress.
Kenzie realizes that there was no guarantee, even if she’d been allowed to run, that she and Mallory would have been voted prom king and queen.
But Kenzie say’s winning wasn’t the point.
“I’m not positive I would have won. I just wanted to get the same chance as everybody else,” she said. “It didn’t matter if I won or not. I just wanted a chance.”