Mom upset after school tells students they can't say no when asked to dance

WEST HAVEN, Utah -- A Utah mom is upset about a school policy in which sixth grade girls can't say "no" when boys ask them to dance.

The mom says it sends the wrong message to the young students.

Natalie Richard told KSTU that she didn't believe the policy at first.

Her daughter is a student at Kanesville Elementary.

"The teacher said, 'She can't. She has to say yes. She has to accept.' And I said, 'Excuse me?'" Richard said.

She took her concerns to the school 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," Richard said.

Lane Findlay, with the Weber School District, confirms it's a rule, but it's meant to teach students how to be inclusive.

"Please be respectful, be polite. We want to promote kindness and so we want you to say yes when someone asks you to dance," Findlay said.

"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," Richard told KSTU.

Natalie says forcing students not to say no teaches them the wrong lesson.

Prior to the dance, which is voluntary, students are told to fill out a card, selecting five people they want to dance with.

And the administration says if there's someone on the card you feel uncomfortable with, the student is encouraged to speak up.

Natalie says rejection is part of life and at the end of the day, this policy is sending impressionable children the wrong message.

As of now, the rule remains in place.