https://www.wmur.com/article/unvaccinated-teens-at-exeter-high-prom-marked-with-numbers/36689880Unvaccinated teens at Exeter High prom marked with numbers
School says marks used to aid contact tracing
EXETER, N.H. —
Unvaccinated teenagers at Exeter High School's prom last week had numbers written on their hands with marker, a practice that drew criticism from some parents.
The prom was held Friday night outside on school grounds, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was still a concern.
"The prom happened Friday night, and on Saturday, I started receiving messages from parents, constituents," said state Rep. Melissa Litchfield, R-Brentwood.
Litchfield said those parents were concerned that children were singled out for not being vaccinated.
In an email, school officials said students who were unable to provide a vaccination card had a number written on their hand. Dancing was divided among three dance floors. After every few songs, they were asked to raise their hands to determine who they were around.
"Underclassmen went around and wrote down the numbers of the children on the dance floor approximately every three songs," Litchfield said. "Again, this is what I was told by parents -- I was not there -- that they had taken down their numbers and this was for contact tracing."
In a statement to News 9, Principal Michael Monahan said, in part:
"We are aware that some concerns have been expressed that students were singled out or had their privacy violated. We made every effort possible -- while adhering to contact tracing guidelines -- to ensure that this did not happen. We hope the community will understand that while no model is perfect, this model let the students enjoy a close to normal and highly desired experience to cap off their senior year. That's the memory we want to leave them with."
While some parents said they didn't know what was planned for the prom, Monahan said the plan was provided through a dedicated website.
