Glenbard East gives pair 10 minutes for prom

A Glenbard East High School senior -- barred from attending prom with her 21-year-old Marine boyfriend -- nonetheless was allowed to squeeze in a 10-minute appearance, she said Monday.

Jessica Pope, 18, went through most of the rituals of prom over the weekend with her friends even after school officials had told the Glendale Heights teen she wouldn't be allowed to bring her date, Francisco Velasco of Addison.

School rules forbid anyone of drinking age from attending proms, though high school officials have acknowledged that rule was a bit ambiguous.

Velasco, a Marine stationed at Fort Lee, Va., received permission from his superiors to fly to Chicago for the weekend just for the dance.

Pope said that after dropping off friends at the Signature Room in Woodridge on Saturday and stopping briefly inside to say hello, school officials backed off and allowed the couple inside -- if only for a few minutes.

School Principal Robert McBride shook Velasco's hand "and went out of his way to say he wasn't getting let in not because of any disrespect for the military," Pope said. "It was just policy. Then another dean told us we could come inside for a bit and have some fun. I figured we would get a half-hour."

But Pope said that within 10 or 15 minutes, McBride and several other school officials were at her table urging the couple to leave the banquet hall immediately while they were in the middle of dinner.

The couple was only able to take one photo in the banquet hall with Pope in her dress and Velasco in full Marine attire.

McBride didn't return a call seeking comment.

"They weren't anticipating getting in at all, so at least they were able to get in," said Jean Daniels, Pope's mother.

After the early exit, Pope said she spent the rest of the night with Velasco tending to post-prom chores for her group of friends.

School officials already have promised to refund Pope's two $75 prom tickets and pay for her $125 dress.

She had mixed emotions about her prom day.

"While we took pictures at Lilacia Park (in Lombard), some lady came up to us and told us how sorry she was we couldn't get in," Pope said. "It was kind of scary getting all that attention."