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Itawamba school prom off after lesbian's date request
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Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba County Agricultural High School, reacts to a message on her cell phone while her aunt, Dana Stweart, left, watches at McMillen's father's house in Fulton. (AP Photo/Matthew Sharpe)
The district announced the cancellation in a one-paragraph statement issued late Wednesday afternoon. It said that the district hoped that “private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors.”
The decision comes one week and one day after the district received a letter from the ACLU of Mississippi demanding that it allow a female student to attend the April 2 dance with her girlfriend.
The civil liberties organization gave the district until Wednesday to change its policy to either allow same-sex prom dates or possibly face legal action.
Kristy Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, said Wednesday night that she had not yet seen the district’s statement and could not immediately say how the organization would respond.
The Itawamba County Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday and issued its statement. It said the decision was caused by “the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events.”
“At this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well-being of our students, that the Itawamba County School District not host a junior/senior prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes anyone.”
Itawamba County Superintendent Teresa McNeece could not be reached further comment.
The ACLU’s demand came on behalf of Constance McMillen, a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School.
McMillen was told by school officials that she and her girlfriend would not be allowed to arrive together at the prom and that they might be thrown out if their presence made other students uncomfortable, according to a release sent last week by the ACLU of Mississippi. She was also told she could not wear a tuxedo to the dance.
McMillen, said it was retaliation for her efforts to bring her girlfriend, also a student, to the April 2 dance.
"A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this, so in a way it's really retaliation," McMillen told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson. Calls to McMillen by The Associated Press and the NEMS Daily Journal late Wednesday went unanswered.
Contact Chris Kieffer at (662) 678-1590 or chris.kieffer@djournal.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click here for Patsy R. Brumfield's blog: Itawamba AHS misses chance to be great Press release on Prom Decision
Itawamba Agricultural High School Cancels Prom
(Press Release sent by the School Board Attorney)
The Itawamba County Board of Education held a special meeting on March 10, 2010, and adopted the following statement:
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. It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors. However, at this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students, that the Itawamba County School District not host a junior/senior prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes anyone.
Itawamba County Board of Education
Did you miss me, Vic? :)
It isn't about god or race or being fat or any of that. Trying to spin this to post your views about those topics is simply waiting to interupt, not a legitimate discussion at all.
Put down your bible, throw race out of it and go on a diet if those are your issues - this is about a school administration that makes policies and rules and if someONE doesn't like the rules, they bring in the ACLU and try to force the issue while hiding behind the poor girls' rights. It is ridiculous that the school will have to waste our tax money defending this BS. ACLU: nevermind, I won't thrill you by telling you what you should do.....you know....
I am simply sick of all the whinning about her "rights". What about everyone else's rights?!
as for suaveguy83.. why would you want us banned from this site? can't handle rational discourse?
I am diabetic. This is the way God created me. Research proves that I am diabetic because of my genes. I have type 2 diabetes and could be cured if I would eat right, but I would have to change my behavior. I would rather drink sugar filled sodas. I have been told that my body is God's temple, but I am going to do defy him and do what I want anyway. So what? I am not proud to be diabetic.
I have high cholesterol. This is the way God created me. Research proves that I have high cholesterol because of my genes. I could be treated if I would eat right, but I would have to give up the two sausage biscuits for breakfast! I would have to change my behavior. I have been told that my body is God's temple, but I am going to do defy him and do what I want anyway. So what? I am not proud to have high cholesterol.
I have high blood pressure. This is the way God created me. Research proves that I have high blood pressure because of my genes. I could be treated if I would eat right, stop smoking, lose some weight and exercise, but I would have to change my behavior. I have been told that my body is God's temple, but I am going to do defy him and do what I want anyway. So what? I am not proud to have high blood pressure.
I am gay. This is the way God created me. Research proves that I am gay because of my genes. I could be straight, but then I would have to change my behavior. I have been told that it is a sin to have sex with other people of the same sex as me, but I don't care. Yes, I know it is totally unnatural to have sex the way I do, but I cannot control myself and so I tell myself and others that this must be okay. If people really thought about the manner in which I actually had sex with people of my own gender, they would probably throw up. I am just going to the yield to temptation and do it anyway. So what? I am not proud to be gay.
I am also black. This is the way God created me. Research proves that I have black skin because of my genes. All of the other 'genetic' conditions that I have can and should be solved, and when I have enough problems from them, I just might solve them. Being black is so different from those other things. I am surprised that white gay people think that it is. In the meantime, I am proud to be black.
Concerned American, I'm not interested in your mythology. The ACLU does nothing but make sure that freedoms are not abridged by public entities. They have every right to do this. Let your god handle the girls in his own time, and stop concerning yourself with other persons' personal issues that do not harm you at all.
I hope Candice's date sues to form a gay-straight alliance club at the school next. You people will go ape.
The Constitution does give us the right to freedom of speech. The ACLU takes that right and tries to force the beliefs and actions of some on the majority of US citizens. God gives us free will, yes, but he also gives us guidelines for a Christian life. They are found in the Bible.
In Leviticus 18:22 God speaks to His people in Israel saying, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination". In Leviticus 20:13 God further tells us, “If a man also lies with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”. In these two passages (and there are others) homosexuality is condemned as sin; a Christian cannot alter God’s word or depart from it.
The school board ought to have the best interests of the taxpayers in mind, yet clearly they'd rather blow this up into a national rights case and get sued by the ACLU rather than do the rational, legally correct thing.
Don't forget, the bulk of your schools like everyone else's are paid for by state and national money, not local money. If you want a private school, join or set one up.