[Pantyholic]

Gay student awarded $35,000 settlement over cancelled prom affair.

A gay student caught in a battle with high school officials regarding her prom date is set to receive a $35,000 settlement from a discrimination lawsuit.
The student, Constance McMillen, was caught in the center of a recent storm of discrimination after announcing she would attend the high school prom with her girlfriend.
The Itawamba County School District then found itself in the center of a discrimination lawsuit, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in announcing it would cancel the prom, scheduled to be held last April 2 at Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi.
At the time, the school board’s reasoning for the cancellation was “due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events,” according to a Huffington Post report.
However, thanks to the ACLU, who filed suit on Ms. McMillen’s behalf, the school district now has implemented an anti-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation or gender identity, giving new meaning to their “educational process.”
While the new policy comes as part of the settlement, school officials said in the settlement they did not believe Ms. McMillen's rights had been violated and a non-discrimination policy was in place before the incident.
In the settlement, the school district also agrees to pay McMillen’s legal fees during the ordeal.
Hopeful that gay students will be treated fairly in the future, McMillen still had to change schools to finish out her studies for the academic year after receiving too much harassment at the rural school.
"I'm so glad this is all over. I won't ever get my prom back, but it's worth it if it changes things at my school," Ms McMillen said, according to BBC.
"Constance went through a great deal of harassment and humiliation simply for standing up for her rights, and she should be proud of what she has accomplished," said Christine Sun, a senior lawyer with the ACLU.
"Thanks to her bravery, we now not only have a federal court precedent that can be used to protect the rights of students all over the country to bring the date they want to their proms, but we also have the first school anti-discrimination policy of its kind in Mississippi."

[KnickerBocker]

I think she got ripped off by the school district, they should have been required to pay all her college fees to get a full four years at Harvard if she so wished. Also, I find it interesting they didn't think they violated her civil rights by canceling the prom, they not only violated hers, but every member of the graduating class. The only way they wouldn't have violated their rights, is if they canceled proms forever more and I'm not sure that qualify as non-violating, but it would at least look non-discriminatory. You think after the 60s they would have learned a lesson in Mississippi, but the old feelings are still there, and I feel a harder slap was needed here!

[satinguy469]

I hope all these people suing to go to proms either as crossdressers or gay couples starts opening some eyes out there. It's not the way it was 50 years ago. Things change.

[mic091221]

I missed my prom,,, would of been nice to go.... but had to work and pay for my panties..........