» Prom ruling:
But school district policy bars him from attending dance
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will attend a Waukesha fan’s high school prom as part of a Twitter bet, but is barred from the dance itself because of district policy.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who agreed to attend a Waukesha fan’s prom as part of a Twitter bet, will be on hand for its opening ceremonies, the fan and her family said Thursday.
But he’s barred from the dance itself, according to district policy, because he is too old and was once busted for possession of marijuana and driving under the influence.
“He said he’s coming for sure. I’m so excited,” super fan Ava Tarantino, 17, said Thursday.
Bell, 25, has told her he intends to bring his family, including his mother and girlfriend, who will do Tarantino’s makeup. And Tarantino is on the lookout for a dress, preferably in the Steelers’ colors, black and yellow.
A Steelers fan since childhood, Tarantino met Bell in 2014 during one of the family’s many game trips, and they’ve followed each other on Twitter ever since.
The teen tweeted her invitation last week in a dare of sorts in which she laid down the terms: If she could get 500 retweets, he’d agree to be her date for prom.
Bell upped the ante to “600 & it’s a deal.” And when she surpassed that — she has since hit 2,000-plus — he tweeted, “A deal is a deal . ... see you at your prom.”
The Tarantinos thought it was a go, but hit a road block with the school and district.
The district issued a statement on Wednesday saying Bell is welcome at the prom’s public events — the grand march and photo sessions — but district policy bars from the dance guests who have been involved in drug, alcohol or violent criminal incidents.
“You can Google Mr. Bell,” spokeswoman Terry Schuster said, an apparent allusion to the 2014 incident that earned Bell a two-game suspension. District policy also bars guests who are older than 19.
“We have to be equitable in the way we treat our students,” she said. “We don’t even know if this is a real commitment.”
Tarantino’s father, Jim, said he is disappointed in the district’s policy, but pleased that Bell has committed to attend even for a brief time.
He understands the age prohibition and, as a parent, agrees with that policy.
“But I think, in this case, he’s a celebrity. He’s not her date,” he said. “And I think the fact that he’s agreed to do this and to bring his family, speaks very highly of who he is as a person.”
He thinks the district could use Bell’s visit to impart a number of positive lessons for students: that hard work breeds success, that negative actions have consequences, and that sometimes there are second chances.
“Everyone makes mistakes; we all do,” said Jim Tarantino.
“I’m hoping we can come to something that would be beneficial for everybody.”