Faith News Note: Latest developments and both sides speak out on the Mississippi same-sex prom debate.
A Mississippi school board has ruled that the prom will be canceled after a senior student requested to bring her girlfriend to the upcoming prom. Also part of the request is that her date be allowed to wear a tuxedo — which violated the school dance policy. Since the cancellation a campaign has begun to set-up private based prom for all the students to continue where the school left off.
The senior student is 18-yeard old Constance McMillen who petitioned her school to allow her to bring her same-sex date to the prom. The ACLU issued a lawsuit challenge to the school.
The school board cancellation letter stated, “Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School this year”
The ACLU said the school policy is a violation of her constitutional rights and “”It’s shameful and cowardly of the school district to have canceled the prom and to try to blame Constance, who’s only standing up for herself… We will fight tooth and nail for the prom to be reinstated for all students.”
We’re working on an emergency motion it go before the court to get the prom reinstated so Constance can bring her girlfriend and everybody can be themselves.”
Liberty Counsel said in defense of the school, “There really aren’t that many cases on similar facts. Although the ACLU and a lot of the media has presumed they have this constitutional right that’s somehow well-established, I don’t think that’s really the case. A school normally has a right to establish a dress code. They have a right to impose reasonable regulations in an event that the school itself is sponsoring, and they have a right to enforce reasonable regulations and restrictions on conduct.”
Legal action is being brought to reinstate the dance.
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