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Parents in Pennsylvania are concerned about the theme for Stroudsburg High School's upcoming prom. The students selected a casino theme, which was approved by school officials.
The prom, which is scheduled for May 7, will feature casino dealers who will teach the high school students how to play various table games. Students will be given fake money, which they can use to play different games like roulette and blackjack.
One parent, Heidi Sweetser-Cohen, voiced her concerns to the Pocono Update, blasting administrators for approving the theme. She noted that it is illegal for anybody under 21 to gamble in Pennsylvania and warned of the potential harm it could have on young students.
"The school's responsibility is to protect its students. You're not protecting students by teaching them behavior that has addictive qualities. In Pennsylvania, It's illegal to gamble at a casino under the age of twenty-one. They're literally bringing in dealers to teach these kids how to properly play these games. Why? With the information about gambling addiction, this should have been a no-brainer. I feel they just want to be friends with these kids, like parents who want to be their kid's friends and not their parents. I think they want the kids to like them, and they don't want to say no," Sweetzer-Cohen said, "That's a bad school leader."
School officials have not commented on the controversial theme.