High School Senior Turned Away From School’s Valentine Dance For Not Having A Date, ‘For Couples Only’

A high school senior from Utah was turned away from her school’s Valentine’s Day dance for not having a date. Josee Stetich says the she arrived at the school dance with two other female students, but was told she could not enter unless she had a date. The two other friends were told they could enter as they had purchased tickets together; however, all three girls decided to leave the dance when Josee was not allowed to enter.

KUTV reports that three high school friends decided to attend the school’s “Sweethearts Dance” together after they did not get asked out by anyone for the dance. Instead, they decided it would be fun to go as friends and enjoy the night. Stetich says that she went to the dance with friends, Shivani Lindmeir and Mikayla Robertson, all of which are 18-year-old seniors at Bountiful High School. The girls say they spent Saturday afternoon getting ready for the big event. They got their hair done, new outfits, and even went to dinner before heading out to the dance. However, once they arrived at the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City for the “Sweethearts Dance,” they realized things were not going to go as planned.

The group paid for parking and then went to the front door to purchase Josee’s ticket to the dance. Both Shivani and Mikayla had already purchased a “couples” ticket prior to the dance. Therefore, Josee was planning to purchase a third ticket at the door. However, Josee says she was told the dance was for “couples only,” so she could not enter.

“They asked me, ‘Who’s your date?,’ and I said, ‘Me and my friend, because we’re sharing a ticket. I didn’t have a date, no. I didn’t get asked to the dance, which is fine. I love hanging out with my girls. It would’ve been fun. They said, ‘No, you can’t come in, because you don’t have a date.’ I’ve gone to this school for three years, and I never even knew about that rule.”

Josee notes that she offered to pay the full $30 price for a “couples ticket,” but was still denied. ABC News notes that Josee’s friends confirmed the incident and decided to leave the dance as well, even though they were allowed admittance as they had purchased a couples ticket together as each other’s dates.

“They told us Josee needed a date, be it a guy or another friend. They said the ‘Sweethearts Dance’ was different from other school dances, called stomps, because it was couples-only.”

All three girls ended up leaving the dance and the Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams has confirmed the incident but said the girls were not “upset” and that none of them “protested.”

“Sue said none of the girls were upset or protested. They knew it was couples only, but they were hoping for a ‘pass.’ When they asked for a refund and left, Sue assumed they were good to go. Again, no protests from any students or parents.”

Josie later posted the image you see above to her Instagram account noting that she “couldn’t get a ticket to the dance but got a gold ticket to hatch chocolates.”

What do you think about a school having a “couples only” dance? Should any school function exclude those who may not be able to get a date? Let us know in the comments.

[Image Credit: Instagram/ Josee Stetich]