Another School Board Over-Reacts

[Conan71]

So, this school board punishes all students because they are afraid of one lesbian couple showing up to prom?  Really?  No wonder our public education system sucks, it's being run by a bunch of morons.  Good thing she didn't bring a plastic squirt gun to school  

"An 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student whose school district canceled her senior prom rather than allow her to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo said she got some unfriendly looks from classmates when she reluctantly returned to campus Thursday.

Constance McMillen said she didn't want to go back the day after the Itawamba County school board's decision, but her father told her she needed to face her classmates, teachers and school officials.

"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."

The district announced Wednesday it wouldn't host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union told officials a policy banning same-sex prom dates violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district not letting McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free expression rights.

McMillen said she felt some hostility toward her on the Itawamba County Agricultural High School campus.

"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said.

The school board issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event in Fulton, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date

[Hoss]

So, this school board punishes all students because they are afraid of one lesbian couple showing up to prom?  Really?  No wonder our public education system sucks, it's being run by a bunch of morons.  Good thing she didn't bring a plastic squirt gun to school  

"An 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student whose school district canceled her senior prom rather than allow her to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo said she got some unfriendly looks from classmates when she reluctantly returned to campus Thursday.

Constance McMillen said she didn't want to go back the day after the Itawamba County school board's decision, but her father told her she needed to face her classmates, teachers and school officials.

"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."

The district announced Wednesday it wouldn't host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union told officials a policy banning same-sex prom dates violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district not letting McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free expression rights.

McMillen said she felt some hostility toward her on the Itawamba County Agricultural High School campus.

"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said.

The school board issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event in Fulton, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date

Just another case of government (well, elected officials anyway) sticking their noses into morality where it DOESN'T belong.

[nathanm]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the administration's reaction was far more disruptive than a girl wearing a tuxedo to the prom would have been.

[guido911]

[Ed W]

Lesbians?  I thought they said thespians!  These people just don't know how to act!

[custosnox]

personally I think it's more of a caculated way to ostracize the girl then an overreaction.  By doing this, they are making the unconforming student the bad person in the student body. 

[Conan71]

Lesbians?  I thought they said thespians!  These people just don't know how to act!

Thespians? Oh, thought they were Lebanese. I figured the board doesn't like tahini and hummus

[sgrizzle]

While I don't agree with their decision, I can see some reasons they would do it that are not vindictive. This is a small town, small school, who was looking at their dance suddenly becoming inundated with paparazzi, newscasters, and protesters from both sides. In this day and age, many schools can barely justify prom-associated costs even when they aren't gathering more press than the olympics.

[Gaspar]

Thespians? Oh, thought they were Lebanese. I figured the board doesn't like tahini and hummus

But isn't Hamas a terrorist organization?

[nathanm]

But isn't Hamas a terrorist organization?

My bowels would agree with that assessment.

[Townsend]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=20100312_13_0_JACKSO191770

Lesbian teen sues to force school to hold prom

Can't even begin to imagine the comments

[Conan71]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=20100312_13_0_JACKSO191770


Can't even begin to imagine the comments

Well there went five minutes of my life reading predictable comments...WTH was I thinking?

[Townsend]

Well there went five minutes of my life reading predictable comments...WTH was I thinking?

You have to click the little "x" button on the top right of your monitor before the crazy sucks you in.