Judge hears lesbian teen's suit to force prom

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC/AP

ABERDEEN, Miss. - Mississippi officials who canceled a prom after a lesbian student asked to bring her girlfriend told a federal judge Monday that there were issues with the event even before that.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing in U.S. District Court to force the Itawamba County school district to sponsor the prom and allow Constance McMillen to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.

Schools Superintendent Teresa McNeece and school board Chairman Eddie Hood testified that they had discussed not sponsoring the prom even before McMillen challenged a rule that prohibits same-sex dates. They said they had concerns about liability problems, including possible use of alcohol and drugs at a school-sponsored event.

But they also said they decided to call off the April 2 prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School because McMillen's challenge to the rules had caused disruptions.

"We were being hounded every day. Our students were being hounded," McNeece said. "We were having a tough time of any bell-to-bell instruction."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35987875/ns/us_news/

[WillParkinson]

1. I understand now...

:nopity:

I'm sure that now you can understand what the lives of many young gay and lesbian people is like in high school.

[nolabear]

2. "We were having a tough time of any bell-to-bell instruction."

Beg pardon? Hell, I'm FROM Mississippi and I don't understand that.

This is MS BS, by the way.

[tinymontgomery]

11. Bell to Bell Means

Bell to Bell means we're supposed to teach from when the bell rings at the beginning of class to when the bell rings at the end of class. A full 90 minutes of teaching.

[madmom]

3. Have these folks never had a prom before? They had concerns about

liability problems...alcohol and drugs at a school sponsored event. This happens at if not all but many many school sponsored events. They are acting like this is all new to them!

[AlbertCat]

6. liability problems...alcohol and drugs at a school sponsored event.

Well... looks like NO MORE SPORTS EVENTS!

Right?








(besides....all those boys showering together! And girls who play sports...well we know what they are!)

[heliarc]

4. "possible use of alcohol and drugs at a school sponsored event"

I thought that's what prom was by definition...

These School officials are so full of $H1%.

[David__77]

5. BS. The "mob rule" issue of "disruption" does not fly.

It is their responsibility to ensure student safety. There would be no national controversy, by the way, if they had not made an issue of it. There are indeed plenty of schools in right-wing areas where same-sex couples have gone to prom together.

[Posteritatis]

8. To be fair, "disruption" is schoolese for "I don't like this so it's evil"

I mean, the dipshits tried to claim that allowing a gay couple at the prom would disrupt the educational process of the prom itself when they first started this whole mess.

[yellowcanine]

7. Oh they could so lose this, I do believe. I would love to hear the cross exam of these guys.

They have a lot of 'splainen to do, I do believe.

[Moonwalk]

9. Will Someone Explain to me...I presume a School doesn't have to hold a Prom--

So, does the ACLU have a chance of winning this and if so, how? Understand, I think it's despicable what they did, but isn't this like getting rid of all clubs on campus in order to make sure there's no gay-students club? That is, so long as no one gets to participate, they can, well, get away with it? If the school doesn't have to have to host this extra-curricular event, what can the ACLU present as evidence and facts to force them to do it?

[awoke_in_2003]

10. The prom was scheduled

then was "mysteriously" unscheduled after a gay couple wanted to attend. Seems pretty cut and dry. Of course, this will go before courts in Mississippi- can probably predict the outcome.