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Students Protest Face-To-Face Rule, Leave Homecoming Dance

GRAND BLANC (WWJ/AP) - Several hundred students didn't see eye-to-eye with Grand Blanc High School's new face-to-face only rule at this year's homecoming dance.

About 800 of the 1,500 students left Saturday night's event, including 15 couples who were asked to leave for violating the policy, MLive.com reported.

"I noticed last year it was getting pretty bad," said principal Jennifer Hammond. "I told administrators it was time to do something. We had numerous complaints from parents, from students, from community members. That just reinforced what we were thinking."

Students at the school, about 45 miles northwest of Detroit, weren't blindsided by the new rule, Hammond added.

It was printed on homecoming dance tickets, announced in advance over the school's public address system, and told to students as they entered the dance.

Parents were notified of the events from the dance Sunday in an emailed letter from Hammond.

"For the past few years, the manner in which our students have been dancing has become inappropriate and, at times, downright lewd and overtly sexual," she wrote. "It has gotten so bad that many staff members no longer want to chaperone the dances."

Some students disagree.

"I don't think we should be forced to dance face-to-face," said 17-year-old senior Taylor James, who attended the dance but was not asked to leave. "I don't think they should get kicked out and be forced to dance a certain way."

The new rule is too strict, said sophomore Kelsey Rodriguez. She said the students who were asked to leave were not being vulgar.

"I think it's kind of crazy, because the way we dance is part of our culture these days," she said.

But Hammond said it was time to start enforcing dance rules before things got more out of hand.

"I know it's a hard lesson, but this is a school," she said. "I think part of the issue is that is what kids see on TV... But as a school, we can't condone it."

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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