Confederate flag prom dress sparks suit

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RUSSELL, Ky., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A lawsuit against a Kentucky school district over a Confederate flag prom dress is set for trial in August.

Jacqueline Duty claims the Russell Independent Board of Education denied her right to free speech when she was barred from her senior prom in May 2004 because of her homemade dress.

In court papers, Duty has also said the fracas cost her money because she was defamed as a racist, losing some college scholarships, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. She has even submitted genealogical records showing her descent from Confederate soldiers to argue that she was expressing her heritage.

Duty is now a student at a college in Ohio. Her cause has been taken up by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and similar groups.

The suit also names Sean Howard, the principal of Russell High School, and Ronnie Back, retired superintendent of Russell Independent Schools, as defendants.