New Paly principal Jacqueline McEvoy said Friday, in a press conference with The Paly Voice, that she is asking students to help improve the phrases that chaperones at school-sanctioned dances use to enforce rules pertaining to dance conduct.

After the Aug. 30 “Workout 101” dance, students complained that volunteer chaperones and school security staff had used inappropriate reprimands when they allegedly ordered dancing couples to separate or dance more appropriately.

Junior class president Erik Klingbeil said the new emphasis on security was implemented to improve the reputation of Paly dances from one where drinking and engaging in inappropriate behavior were infamously rampant, but that students felt the chaperones’ commands bordered on offensive.

“People were really just kind of shocked,” Klingbeil said, “Some parent chaperones were really explicit.”

One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the chaperones were telling couples dancing that “if you want to have sex, do it somewhere else”.

Members of the leadership class brought up the complaints during their introductory meeting with McEvoy. She asked them to brainstorm more acceptable phrases for the chaperones to use that would still get the message across.

Student activities director Allye Davies said that members of the ASB had called the meeting because they were concerned that rumors after the dance might be scaring students from attending future dances.

“We wanted to meet her,” said ASB president Mohammed Abid, “but we were also kind of frustrated.”

At the Friday press conference, McEvoy said that the dance security is necessary to provide a comfortable environment for all Paly students, who range in age from 13 to 19. She said that parents were not the only ones to complain about “sexually suggestive” behavior at previous dances.

“I received complaints from parents who said that their kids were concerned with what they saw at other dances,” McEvoy said.

The ASB will present its ideas in a Nov. 4 meeting with McEvoy before the next dance. They will discuss what rules to enforce and how to enforce them, according to Davies.

“[We] understand that there are things [about student dancing] that need to change,” Abid said, “but there is a different way to go about it.”