A 17-year-old Lakeview High School student was punished May 7 after he wore a kilt to his junior prom.

Matt McCarl, Stoneboro, was sent to the school’s reassignment center -- which is similar to an in-school suspension -- the Monday after the school’s prom. The punishment will go on his permanent discipline record.

Matt and his family -- as well as the company that sold him the garment -- claim Matt had every right to wear a kilt to the prom and say they’ll take legal action.

"I felt that it wasn’t handled properly," said Verna McCarl, Matt’s mother. "We’ve already contacted an attorney."

Citing student privacy issues, Lakeview High School Principal Alan J. Baldarelli wouldn’t discuss the specific case. Baldarelli did say that no student was punished for a dress code violation.

Matt said he bought the kilt to celebrate his Scottish heritage. And Matt is not the first in his family to own a kilt, "My uncle played in a bagpipe band, so he wore a kilt."

Mrs. McCarl supported her son’s decision and said, "For a Scotsman, that’s formal dress."

Matt said he really didn’t think there was anything wrong with wearing a kilt to prom -- "I didn’t offend anyone, there was no harm done."

"I wore a new suit coat and tie with the kilt," Matt added. "I was looking sharp."

"All my friends thought it was cool," he said, and added that he was wearing shorts underneath his kilt.

The conflict came when one of the chaperones said Matt could not participate in the grand march because he had violated the dress code.

"I couldn’t leave my date hanging," Matt said, "I thought it was rude to make her walk through the grand march by herself."

So Matt participated in the march. On the Monday morning after prom, he was called to the principal’s office and sent to the reassignment center for the day and was told he may not be permitted to attend his senior prom next year.

Baldarelli said no Lakeview High School student was suspended or sent to the reassignment center for a dress code violation, but students were sent for other discipline problems.

Baldarelli said that students who had questions about the dress code were directed to ask before wearing the questionable clothing.

Matt bought his kilt from a Seattle-based company, Utilikilt, after saving money from his after-school job at a feed mill.

"Whether it’s a birth right or a first amendment right," said Steven Zillegas, owner of Utilikilt, "we’re here for the long haul." Zillegas said Matt’s right to wear a Utilikilt is a first amendment issue.

However, there is some question as to whether or not a person’s clothing is considered as speech, which is protected by the Constitution.

"Dress can typically count as an expression of speech," said Clay Calvert, co-director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment and associate professor of communications and law at the Pennsylvania State University.

Calvert added that in past cases where dress in public schools is concerned the courts have come down in favor of the schools.

"There is an interesting first amendment free speech argument to be made that one’s clothing is an expression of free speech; and because this case has a different setting than a classroom, the student may have a stronger case," Calvert said.

However Lakeview High School has a separate dress code for events such as prom.

According to Lakeview School District’s Prom and Formal Attire Guidelines, "Suits, sports coats or tuxedos must be worn by male students; long pants, ties and shirt must be worn; shorts are not permitted."

Megan Haas, who handles public relations for Utilikilt and overnight-mailed the kilt to Matt, called him after the prom to see how it went. When she heard Matt’s story, she began contacting customers for their help.

"We have clients, in Pennsylvania, who are Scottish and who are lawyers," Ms. Haas said.

Zillegas calls Matt a leader, adding "Conformist will follow after people like Matt have led the way."

Zillegas is writing a letter to Baldarelli requesting that Matt’s punishment be lifted off his record, reimbursement for his time served and a formal apology.

"I will help him defend his rights," Zillegas said.

"I was fearful of something like this happening," said Mrs. McCarl, "but he’s such a good kid."

"My problem with it, is that there were other children there with worse infractions of the dress code than Matt," said Mrs. McCarl, who attended the prom as a chaperone.

"If my son is going to be punished then they all should be punished."

Matt doesn’t think the school was fair but he doesn’t plan on wearing a kilt to the prom next year. "I think the school needs to have a better understanding of different cultures and a less-strict dress code," he said.

Matt said all of the controversy over his kilt has not deterred him from wearing it. He wore it on Monday to the Shenango Valley Mall and already has his eyes set on his next Utilikilt -- a Hawaiian print one to where to the beach this summer.

By Jenn Heinold
Herald Staff Writer

The next generation of the traditional Scottish kilt -- the Utilikilt -- caused quite a stir in it’s local debut at Lakeview High School’s prom.

Matt McCarl, the high school junior and Scotsman who wore the Utiliklit, said he’s wanted a kilt his whole life. Traditional Scottish kilts are fairly expensive ranging anywhere from $500 to $5,000, which was totally out of Matt’s price range. So Matt went to the Internet in search of an affordable kilt and found a company in Seattle called Utilikilt.

Utilikilt was started in April 2000 by Steven Zillegas. Zillegas "built" his first Utilikilt in 1996.

"I would wear it (the Utilikilt) out and I didn’t get any crap," Zillegas said. Eventually someone stopped him on the street and asked to buy the Utilikilt he was wearing. Zillegas started a business and has sold about 1,000 Utilikilts.

According to Zillegas and McCarl the best part about the Utilikilt is the freedom it provides.

"And it’s comfortable," said Zillegas who added that the cotton blend, instead of wool, pockets and even a front zipper in some styles makes the Utilikilt a totally different breed of kilt. It’s an American breed, not Scottish, Zillegas said.

"It (the Utilikilt) is still yet to be defined," he said. Zillegas recently created a tuxedo Utilikilt, complete with tails.

"We have guys who just never take them off," said the company’s public relations representative Megan Haas said. "They wear them everyday of the week."

Ms. Haas said women react positively to men in Utilikilts. "Women will come up and congratulate men for being brave enough to wear a kilt in public," she said and added, "They’re sexy."

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