A High School Prom Poster Urges Boys to “Guard Her Reputation”

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So, here’s the scoop. A public high school decided to put up a prom poster that’s got some serious mixed messages—think religious undertones mixed with a dash of sexism and a sprinkle of anti-sex sentiment. And when a student raised concerns, the school didn’t seem interested in listening.

The poster in question came from Lincoln High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and while it lists some admirable qualities for girls—like fearless, honest, and ambitious—it also sneaks in some more questionable words. Among the positive traits, you’ll find “polite” (sure, that’s good), alongside “shy” and “quiet.” Really? Are those the traits we want to promote as aspirational?

At the top, the poster boldly declares, “A Night to Protect Her Character.” When senior Emma Dawson challenged the principal about the implications of this message, he insisted it wasn’t religious or sexist. However, his signature was right next to the logos of two organizations: The Crossing of Manitowoc County (a Christian pro-life clinic) and Holy Family Memorial (a Catholic health care provider).

To give you a clearer picture of what they meant, here’s a snippet from the organizations that sponsored the poster. The Crossing stated, “Our poster and outreach programs are aimed at raising awareness of the potential risky behaviors often tied to prom night. We want teens to embrace healthy, responsible behaviors so prom is a ‘night to remember, not a night to regret.’” Holy Family Memorial added, “We support the core message of this Prom poster, promoting social responsibility and safe behaviors for both young women and men.”

But Emma saw it differently. She told a reporter, “It’s basically saying your character depends on whether or not you have sex. And if you have sex, you won’t have any character.” The glaring problem? This message seems to apply only to girls. There’s no mention of boys on the poster, and it’s clearly aimed at them rather than offering a balanced view.

After Emma’s initial concerns were ignored, her brother took to Reddit to find some support, and people were quick to chime in: “Why do we need to protect her character if she’s already tough?” and “So once a woman has sex, all those qualities just vanish?”

A reporter named Alex Greene reached out to the principal to ask why messages like this were allowed in a public school and if non-Christian groups could post their own materials. But he didn’t get any response. However, once the media picked up the story, the school decided to take down the posters. Looks like Emma’s voice was heard after all.

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In summary, the prom poster at Lincoln High sparked quite a debate about its underlying messages regarding women and character, leading to a swift removal after backlash from students and parents.