Memphis teen denied request to bring another boy to homecoming

The only thing Memphis teen Lance Sanderson wants is to bring another boy to his high school’s homecoming, but administrators are denying that request.

The senior at Christian Brothers High School, an all-boys Catholic prep school, spoke with an administrator last year who gave him the green light to bring another boy, but when he left his position at the school, the current administrators are denying Lance the opportunity.

The school cited the policy against bringing boys from other schools to social functions. But that wasn’t the only thing the administrator referenced while denying the student’s request.

“I was sitting down talking to one of the current administrators over the summer, and at the end of our conversation, I mentioned it, expecting him to say the same thing. And he had a very different response,” Sanderson tells the Memphis Flyer. “He mentioned a [gay] couple in Texas and said I was a lot like this one person and said that the guy’s boyfriend murdered him. It was a little rough.”

The school’s policy reads, “CBHS students may attend the dance by themselves, with other CBHS students, or with a girl from another school. For logistical reasons, boys from other schools may not attend.”

According to Sanderson, the policy has been read over the loudspeaker daily for the past week, as if to add insult to injury.

The school’s marketing and communications director, John Morris, said it would not be releasing any comment over the matter.

Correction: Out Front originally reported that Sanderson wanted to take the boy to prom, not homecoming. Apologies.