California high schoolers caught making an NFL-style draft for prom dates

Want to ask the popular girl to prom? You better hope you get a lucky number, or have some cash to spare.

Administrators at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California, are trying in vain to discourage students from participating in an annual "prom draft" in which boys rank female students and even sell first-round date picks to those interested in getting the upper hand.

According to a student who spoke to the Daily Pilot, this isn't the first year that students at CdM High have participated in the NFL-style prom draft. This year, one student reportedly paid $140 for a first-round pick in order to choose a specific girl. "It's awkward because he spent a large amount of money to go with someone he doesn't talk to," said the student. "And she finds it awkward that he chose her."

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

For the most part, female students reportedly "respect the draft and stick with those dates," the student added. But Kathy Scott, the school's principal, is encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the harmful effects of the practice. "It's not okay for any student to be objectified or judged in any way," she wrote.

Explore More

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.