JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There are things you will always remember about your senior year of high school, great friends, the yearbook and, of course, the prom.
Zoey Grimes is a senior and is proud to be graduating from Camden County High School.
She could not wait until prom, so she got a job just so she could have the prom dress of her dreams, but she never got to wear it to the dance.
Grimes said when she tried on the dress she absolutely fell in love with it.
She saved the money she made working every day for
six or seven hours after school for a month and a half in order to earn money for her dream dress designed by Sherri Hill.
"I've never been really good at saving money so this was a really big task for me," Grimes said.
Grimes got the dress, but would never get to wear it to prom.
"I posted on Twitter that I had gotten kicked out of prom and everybody was like, 'What? Why did you get kicked out?'"
An administrator decided at the door that Grimes' dress was inappropriate.
"She said the back was not in dress code and I told her, 'No,'" Grimes said. "She said the sides weren't in dress code and I said the sides were in dress code as well."
News4Jax asked the principal of Camden County High School why Grimes was not allowed to go to the prom and the principal sent this statement:
"Approximately 500 students attended prom. Unfortunately, three students were sent home because they did not meet our attendance requirements or dress code. We notified students throughout the year concerning our attendance and dress code requirements. Students who do not meet the dress code are asked to please wear a shawl over their dress so they can stay at the prom. Most choose to wear a shawl but unfortunately a few leave and miss the opportunity to participate."
Grimes said, "I went home to find something and couldn't find anything, so I just told my boyfriend to go back and get my money back."
But Grimes said they did not get their money back, and it made her even angrier when she said the only administrator checking attire had plenty of time to speak with her as she waited to buy her prom ticket at the door.
"I was standing there in front of this woman for about 10 minutes. She had plenty of time to tell me that I was in dress code or out of dress code and as soon as I handed them my money for my ticket, she goes, 'I need to speak with you,'" Grimes said.
Grimes' mother, Alissa Williams, said she was furious and waited until prom night was over, at her daughter's request, before going to the school looking for an apology.
"I went with her to pick (the dress) out and she has very good taste and that dress was extremely appropriate," Williams said.
She said the principal offered her a refund for the $35 prom ticket, but Williams said that is not enough.
"Since she can't have her senior prom back, I would like it if they could pay for her dress," Williams said.
Williams said she is taking her request all the way to the school superintendent.
Meanwhile, Grimes told News4Jax the night wasn't a total loss. She said her boyfriend took her to a movie she wanted to see, although she still would have liked to have been able to attend her senior prom.