NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Students at a New Jersey high school held a sit-in on Monday after school administrators seemingly slighted their vote for two girls for homecoming king and queen by picking two boys in return.
NorthJersey.com reports nearly 1,000 students at Passaic County Technical Institute took part in the protest during school hours in response to the school's decision to include two boy winners — despite Seniors Zoe Nelson, 17, and Jyckell Perez, 17, winning on Oct. 15.
School officials said in a statement that students were allowed to voice their concerns in the protest, though Nelson told the paper she's "heard 'sorry' so many times" from them.
The school released a statement on its Twitter account saying it is proud of its student body's "diversity" but wanted to "avoid excluding anyone" in its decision to expand the court.
Nelson said she decided to run for the homecoming king slot to open the school's outlook on gender, which drew attention on social media.
Perez, the student's choice for homecoming queen, tagged along once the school tried to foil the plan to stop Nelson from running — after it held two more elections and officials opened voting to the top four choices on the ballot.
"When I asked, 'Why am I the only queen,' they told me, 'Oh, you're special,'" Perez said of their response.
Nelson, who said the bullying she has received has "been a lot," eventually decided not to show up and accept her distinguished win.
Perez felt it was vital for her to accept her title, embracing Nelson and their supporters' mission.
"I wanted to be a voice for them," she said. "I still wanted to walk to make sure there was some representation of what we had done."
NorthJersey.com reports the pair's goal has led them to be invited at a Board of Education meeting next week to discuss the issue.
