He has a date, but can't go to the prom

Shelton, Conn. (CTPost.com) - It began as a simple gesture. Shelton High School senior James Tate just wanted to make his good friend, Sonali Rodrigues, feel special.

So instead of the usual way of asking her to the senior prom, Tate and two friends went to the high school campus in the middle of the night and posted 12-inch tall, cardboard letters on the outside of the building -- at the main entrance.

The message that many saw when they arrived to school Friday, read: "Sonali Rodrigues, Will you go to the prom with me? James Tate."

"She said yes," Tate, 18, said.

"It took a lot of effort," he said, adding he posted the letters, one at a time, in a "safe and thoughtful way" to avoid trouble.

But, it appears, that didn't work out.

Tuesday, after meeting with his headmaster , Tate and his two friends were given one day, in-house suspensions and, Tate was told, he can't go to the prom.

Tate was told the administration felt what he did was a "safety risk."

Read the rest of the story at CTPost.com

Friends have setup a Facebook page in support of Tate. It's located on Facebook at Let James Tate Go To The Prom.