New Orleans hotelier offers to host prom cancelled in Mississippi
Ghavrel Send a noteboard - 14/03/2010 01:29:40 AM
By The Associated Press
March 12, 2010, 1:42PM
A lesbian student who wanted to take her girlfriend to her senior prom is asking a federal judge to force her Mississippi school district to reinstate the dance it canceled.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen, who said she faced some unhappy classmates after the Itawamba County School District said it wouldn't host the April 2 prom.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend, who is a fellow student, and wear a tuxedo, which the school said also violated policy.
The district's decision Wednesday came after the ACLU demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it said it violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district violated McMillen's free expression rights by not letting her wear a tux.
The school board statement said it wouldn't host the event "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events" but didn't mention McMillen. District officials didn't return calls seeking comment Thursday.
At least one supporter has offered to help McMillen and her classmates hold an alternate prom.
New Orleans hotel owner Sean Cummings told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson he was so disappointed with the school board's decision he offered to transport the students in buses to the city and host a free prom at one of his properties.
"New Orleans, we're a joyful culture and a creative culture here and, if the school doesn't change its mind, we'd be delighted to offer them a prom in New Orleans," he told the newspaper. "Concluding your high school experience should be a joyful one. One shouldn't conclude that experience with all their friends on a negative note."
We so nice.
EDIT: Link added.
March 12, 2010, 1:42PM
A lesbian student who wanted to take her girlfriend to her senior prom is asking a federal judge to force her Mississippi school district to reinstate the dance it canceled.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen, who said she faced some unhappy classmates after the Itawamba County School District said it wouldn't host the April 2 prom.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend, who is a fellow student, and wear a tuxedo, which the school said also violated policy.
The district's decision Wednesday came after the ACLU demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it said it violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district violated McMillen's free expression rights by not letting her wear a tux.
The school board statement said it wouldn't host the event "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events" but didn't mention McMillen. District officials didn't return calls seeking comment Thursday.
At least one supporter has offered to help McMillen and her classmates hold an alternate prom.
New Orleans hotel owner Sean Cummings told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson he was so disappointed with the school board's decision he offered to transport the students in buses to the city and host a free prom at one of his properties.
"New Orleans, we're a joyful culture and a creative culture here and, if the school doesn't change its mind, we'd be delighted to offer them a prom in New Orleans," he told the newspaper. "Concluding your high school experience should be a joyful one. One shouldn't conclude that experience with all their friends on a negative note."
We so nice.
EDIT: Link added.
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This message last edited by Ghavrel on 14/03/2010 at 01:30:08 AM
New Orleans hotelier offers to host prom cancelled in Mississippi
- 14/03/2010 01:29:40 AM
533 Views
*NM*
Sort of seems opportunistic really
- 14/03/2010 02:00:54 AM
213 Views
Given the nature of the people involved, I highly doubt they're willing to go to NOLA. 
- 14/03/2010 03:31:33 AM
205 Views
- 14/03/2010 03:31:33 AM
205 Views
Re: Given the nature of the people involved, I highly doubt they're willing to go to NOLA.
- 14/03/2010 04:13:18 AM
195 Views
- 14/03/2010 04:13:18 AM
195 Views
Aren't high-school graduands generally 18?
- 14/03/2010 10:34:20 AM
210 Views
Prom is in early April - so statistically, only about 25% of students will have turned 18...
- 14/03/2010 03:40:26 PM
172 Views
That's probably off by a good deal, closer to 50%
- 14/03/2010 04:48:07 PM
192 Views
Ah, yes, that would make a difference.
- 14/03/2010 04:56:19 PM
187 Views
School years by birth year? That's far too logical and orderly for an English-speaking country!
- 14/03/2010 11:10:27 PM
179 Views
It's pretty arbitrary, but you have to consider the ramifications at the college level
- 15/03/2010 12:05:28 AM
183 Views
What are the "noticeable difficulties" with having 17-year-olds on campus?
- 15/03/2010 08:19:24 AM
173 Views
Mostly, I can only think of problems relating to sex.
- 15/03/2010 12:38:06 PM
157 Views
What on earth have students' sex lives got to do with the college?
- 15/03/2010 12:52:03 PM
172 Views
I was just suggesting it as a possible reason, there's no need to get persnickity.
- 15/03/2010 05:45:43 PM
157 Views
I didn't mean to be persnickety. I was just trying to understand.
- 15/03/2010 08:39:20 PM
159 Views
Well, they aren't legal adults...
- 15/03/2010 01:05:33 PM
165 Views
Because it means you can't pass your test until long after you've started your "independent" life.
- 15/03/2010 08:44:33 PM
196 Views
Depends on the country, I would imagine.
- 15/03/2010 08:53:40 PM
160 Views
Ah, good to know. Not quite as nuts as I thought then, at least in Belgium 
. *NM*
- 15/03/2010 10:42:51 PM
59 Views
. *NM*
- 15/03/2010 10:42:51 PM
59 Views
All countries I'm aware of have "driving age" mean the age you can take the test
- 15/03/2010 10:24:16 PM
174 Views
Huh, maybe I was wrongly assuming everywhere was like here.
- 15/03/2010 10:33:50 PM
210 Views
in the states
- 15/03/2010 10:44:11 PM
164 Views
Here they recently changed the system too, so I'm not sure on the details, but...
- 15/03/2010 10:55:13 PM
151 Views