April 24, 2003
Valdosta - Since she was a little girl, 17-year-old Tiffany Tweed has looked forward to her Senior Prom. "You hear older people talk about it, and its something you always want to do," said Tweed.
But two weeks ago, that dream ended when she was told she couldn't attend the dance. "They told me I could come just to take pictures, but as soon as that was done, I'd have to leave," said Tweed.
Tiffany has Avascular Nucrosis. It's disease that eats away at the bones in her lower leg. Because of her hospital homebound status, Lowndes High Principal Ann Rogers said she couldn't attend the dance. "She said there was some state law and she was just making an exception for me to even come and take pictures," said Tweed.
But Tiffany's mom Laura says the principal is wrong. "I've researched it on all sorts of web sites, and there's no such law," said Laura Tweed.
She'd made all the pre-prom preparations. "I had a dress, hair appointments, and got my nails done," said Tweed. Now she has a few photos, but no real memories from the night she'd long anticipated. "It's like giving a baby candy and taking it away," said Tweed. "I got to go in and see how beautiful everything was and how much fun I could have, then had to leave."
Lowndes County Superintendent Steve Smith didn't know about Tiffany's situation until a week after the prom, and says it was a big misunderstanding. "If I had known, she would've been able to go," said Smith. "The communication channels just got mixed up and I was never even informed but we really regret this situation."
Tiffany knows she can't get a second prom, but wants one thing from the school board. "I can never relive those memories, but an apology would be nice," said Tweed.
Superintendent Smith says he's tried to contact the Tweeds, and is the process of preparing a written apology.
posted at 4:00 by ashley.harper@walb.com
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