Father-Daughter dance deemed a success

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) – A local radio station held a special dance for fathers and daughters last night, in the same city that canceled gender specific events earlier this year.

According to the attendees, the dance was a success. American Idol winner Scotty McCreery performed during the event hosted by Cat Country.

“Scotty came and he was really good! All the girls were going crazy,” said Amelia Charleston, a Cranston student who attended the dance.

Everyone seemed to have a great time at the Father-Daughter dance, and many parents said they were not going to let school policies stop the fun tradition.

“The ACLU takes positions on a lot of things and they do what they have to do.  Something really good came out of something that could have been a big disappointment," said Cranston parent Bob Charleston.

The dance came to be after the Cranston School Committee cancelled their traditional Father-Daughter dance.

Four months ago the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Cranston School Superintendent Judith Lundsten on behalf of a single mother. The complaint revolved around the woman's daughter being unable to attend a "Me and My Guy Dance" that was scheduled at Stadium Elementary School.

"The law says they have to be all inclusive they can’t be gender exclusive," said Frank Lombardi of the Cranston School Committee.

After the policy was changed to make the dance gender neutral and fit federal laws, Cat Country 98.1 stepped up to do it themselves.

"Callers were calling in saying somebody should put that dance on and I thought yeah, why not us?" said Bob Walker of Cat Country.

The dance was an all inclusive event at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

The Cranston School Committee says they will continue to have school dances, they just won’t be specifically Father-Daughter events.