Parent-run prom theme: ‘A little party never killed nobody’

Flyer was removed from Facebook, but unclear if event will go forward

A flyer for an Idaho high school’s prom began making the rounds on social media last week. Melba Junior-Senior High School isn’t hosting an official prom this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But a group of parents decided to host a prom of their own for Melba students.

The tag line? “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.”

Melba parent Chanall Astle, whose name is listed on the flyer as one of the organizers, said the tag line was in reference to “The Great Gatsby,” which is the theme of the event. (The line does not make an appearance in “The Great Gatsby” novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it is the title of a song sung by Fergie and featured in the 2013 film adaptation of the book.) Astle said she had already removed the flyer from Facebook, where it was posted, after receiving a call from the school district.

She declined to say whether the event will still take place in Nampa as scheduled.

“It’s hard enough to give our kids some enjoyment this year and let them have a little fun,” Astle told the Statesman on Wednesday.

“It’s really disappointing as a parent when you try to do a good thing, but people turn it into a bad thing.”

It’s unclear if the prom, scheduled for April 17, would violate any local or state COVID-19 restrictions. Idaho’s Stay Healthy Order for Stage 3 says gatherings should be limited to 50 or fewer people.

Southwest District Health, which oversees Nampa and Canyon County, has never passed a public health order mandating masks.

Although the number of Idahoans contracting the coronavirus has been declining, Idahoans are still dying due to COVID-19.

As of last Tuesday, at least 1,892 people have died related to COVID-19 in the state.

Parties have been linked to serious outbreaks across the country. In Maine, a wedding reception was blamed for an outbreak that led to seven deaths, CNN reported. In Missouri, a parent-run school dance created a COVID-19 outbreak, too, McClatchy News reported.