WEST HAVEN UT, (KSTU/CNN) - When Natalie Richard’s sixth grade daughter told her she couldn't say no if a boy asked her to dance, she did not believe it at first.
"One teacher said she can`t,” said Richard. “She has to say yes. She has to accept and I said, excuse me?"
Richard took her concerns to the school's principal.
"He basically just said they've had this dance set up this way for a long time and they`ve never had any concerns before," said Richard.
Lane Findlay with the Weber School District confirmed that it`s a rule, but it`s meant to teach students how to be inclusive.
"Please be respectful, be polite,” said Findlay. “We want to promote kindness and so we want you to say yes when someone asks you to dance."
Richard said, forcing students not to say no teaches them the wrong lesson.
"I do see it from their perspective when it comes to that, but there are many other ways to teach children how to be accepting than with a social dance,” she said.
Prior to the dance, which is voluntary, students are told to fill out a card, selecting five people they want to dance with.
"Sends a bad message to girls that girls have to say yes, sends a bad message to boys that girls can`t say no,” said Richard.
The administration said if there`s someone on the card you feel uncomfortable with, the student is encouraged to speak up.
Copyright 2018 KSTU via CNN. All rights reserved.
