Once Barred from Prom, Conn. Student Gets to Go

SHELTON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut teen who was briefly barred from prom for his over-the-top invitation to his date finally got to go.

Shelton High School senior James Tate attended the prom Saturday, nearly a month after he was prohibited for posting his invitation to Sonali Rodrigues in 12-inch-high cardboard letters on the school wall.

School officials had said his invitation was a safety risk and suspended him for a day and barred him from the prom. Headmaster Beth Smith later reversed the decision, acknowledging the international attention the case received.

Dressed in a three-piece black tuxedo with a purple flower in his jacket pocket, Tate arrived at a pre-prom photo event followed by television cameras.

Rodrigues, dressed in a lavender prom dress, said her date was funny and "pretty cute."

___

Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com