Teen forced to wear coat over dress deemed too inappropriate for dance

HIGHLAND, UT -- A student attending a high school dance was told she needed to cover up because her shoulders were exposed, KUTV reports.

Gabi Finlayson told the tv station that school officials approached her at the dance and told to cover up.

"She said, 'Would you mind putting on a shawl?' I didn't want to make a big scene so I said, yes. I had a coat in the car so I had to go back and get it," Finlayson said.

Finlayson thought her dress was modest.

"There were a lot of dresses that were very short, very tight, a lot more exposing or revealing than mine," Finlayson told KUTV.

But Finlayson was just one of four girls out the 1,200 attending the dance who was told to cover up. She was forced to wear her winter coat the entire night.

"Somehow my shoulders are sexualized," Finlayson said. "Like it's my responsibility to make sure the boys' thoughts are not unclean."

According to KUTV, the public high school's dress code states:

"Formals, backless dresses and/or tops may not extend beyond the bottom of the shoulder blades. Girls' dresses and tops must have a 2" minimum strap on each shoulder. Shawls, boleros and other shrugs are acceptable if worn over the dress at all times. Cleavage covered."

Finlayson feels she was shamed for wearing what most would consider a perfectly appropriate wide-strapped dress. She believes being forced to cover her shoulders sends the wrong message to girls.

"Maybe instead of teaching girls they should cover themselves up, we should be teaching boys that we're not just sex objects that you can look at and derive pleasure," said Finlayson.

Do you think the dress was inappropriate for a high school dance? Let us know in the comments below.