Lesbian Prom Teen Filing for Damages
The lesbian teenager from Mississippi who challenged her school district's ban on same-sex prom dates is seeking unspecified monetary damages, claiming she was publicly humiliated.
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen.
Constance McMillen, 18, is a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton. The lawsuit names the Itawamba County school district and school officials as defendants.
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McMillen and the ACLU challenged her school district's rule banning same-sex prom dates and a stipulation that only male students be allowed to wear tuxedos to the event.
In response, the school district canceled its April 2 prom and later announced parents would sponsor another dance in its place.
Las month, a federal judge ruled that the school district violated McMillen's constitutional rights, though did not reinstate the prom.
According to McMillen, the prom she attended was at a country club. She said of the five other students at the country club, two had learning disabilities.
"They had the time of their lives," McMillen said. "That's the one good thing that come out of this, [these kids] didn't have to worry about people making fun of them [at their prom]."