After initially telling parents and students that female prom attendees would need to email the assistant principal photos of themselves in their dresses from the front and back prior to the event, Oxford High School has walked back its requirements.

The initial guidelines have since been removed, but according to photos shown in prior media coverage, students who wanted to wear a dress would have to send the email for review and have their outfit approved by March 6. If they did not receive pre-approval, students would not be able to attend the prom, the initial guidelines stated.

The school said those rules were published without “appropriate approval.”

“Unfortunately, the guidelines that were initially posted were not routed through the appropriate approval channels and had to be rescinded as they were not an accurate reflection of the procedures the school will implement for this year’s prom,” spokeswoman Ashley Siskey Stilwell stated.

Now, the official guidelines do not require students to email photos of their dresses, though the criteria for approved dresses remains the same:

• No transparent material
• No slits more than 6 inches from the middle of the knee
• No dress length can be shorter than 6 inches from the middle of the knee all the way around (both front and back from the middle of the knee)
• No revealing necklines (armpit line) or back lines
• Dresses may be sleeveless or strapless provided material covers from armpit-line to mid-thigh
• No two-piece dresses with midriff showing will be allowed

The first set of guidelines was published to Facebook Jan. 18.

They were removed the following day and the school made a statement apologizing for the “confusion.”

“In our attempt to provide a streamlined plan for approvals, our messaging was unclear and may have created confusion,” the statement read. “We apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred and will take the opportunity to learn and improve from our feedback.”

The school said there “has been an increase in attendees wearing attire not in compliance with the dress code resulting in long lines to correct violations before prom entry.”

A photo of the school’s mascot, a yellowjacket in a sweater, accompanied the statement.

“Your mascot isn’t adhering to the dress code, but that’s okay because it’s probably a male,” one Facebook user commented.

The school also updated a section to prom guidelines titled “Dance,” and deleted a phrase that said “no dirty dancing, no sexual acts or motions, no inappropriate public displays of affection.”