FULTON, Miss., March 12 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union is suing a Mississippi high school for canceling its prom after a lesbian student asked to attend with her girlfriend.
The ACLU lawsuit claims Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton violated the First Amendment right to freedom of expression for Constance McMillen, 18, by canceling the prom after she sought to have the school change its policy of only allowing opposite-sex couples at the dance, CNN reported Friday.
The suit says the event was canceled after McMillen and the ACLU informally sought to have officials change the policy outlined in a Feb. 5 memorandum to students, which also barred McMillen from her plans to wear a tuxedo to the event.
"All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly," McMillen said in a statement released by the ACLU. "This isn't just about me and my rights anymore -- now I'm fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom."
Officials at the school, who CNN said were not available for comment, announced the cancellation Wednesday.
"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," the county board of education said in a statement.
The lawsuit seeks to have the prom reinstated.
