At an elementary school in Staten Island, New York, a father-daughter dance that was canceled after the school’s principal wanted it rescheduled because it violated the Department of Education’s gender-neutral policy now appears to have received a reprieve.

Sort of.

Rather than outright canceling the dance, the administration at Staten Island, New York’s P.S. 65, also known as the Academy of Innovative Learning, has rescheduled it for March. The beloved daddy-daughter soirée originally was to take place this coming Friday, ahead of Valentine’s Day. But the New York Department of Education directs schools to eliminate any gender-based practices such as daddy-daughter dances unless the activities serve a clear educational purpose, the New York Post originally reported — putting the fun event in jeopardy.

Now, at the rescheduled event, the entire school community, including people who identify as trans or as gender-nonconforming students, will be permitted to participate.

Some believe the policy’s application to the grade school father-daughter dance has weaponized political correctness to rob participants of a much-loved tradition.

“Father-daughter dances inherently leave people out. Not just because of transgender status, just life in general,” Jared Fox, the district’s LGBT community liaison, told the newspaper. “These can be really uncomfortable and triggering events.”

The original event remains featured on the front page of the school’s website, under the “PTA News” heading — and it reads as if it’s still occurring this Friday, which may be leading to some confusion. The event is titled “Father/Best Guy & Daughter Dance.” The rescheduled event is not currently listed on the school’s website for March.

A call to the school confirmed the dance is indeed rescheduled for March.

“The dance is postponed until March … You’ll have to call the D.O.E. [Department of Education] for any other information,” a person answering the phone at the school office told LifeZette. Other news outlets have met with a similar reluctance to comment from school officials.

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Daddy-daughter dances represent a cherished bonding time that girls and their fathers look forward to for many months. Many of the girls purchase special outfits to wear or even take dance lessons to practice their moves beforehand.

At an age at which children are too young for dating — but when dating age isn’t far off — having a “date” with a dad (or father figure) who treats his little girl the way he wants future suitors to treat her will be seared into her impressionable memory. The memory of a first “date” with a guy who treats her with love, respect, and care sets the standard high — and appropriately so.

Related: Why Dads Need Their Daughters So Much

Upon news of the initial cancellation of the dance, social media lit up with passionate responses. Some cheered the decision, but many were upset.

Multiple requests for additional comment from representatives from the school and the school’s PTA were unanswered at the time of publication.

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Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.