JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi is suing to force a school district to host a prom it canceled after a lesbian student asked to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
The federal lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen.
The Itawamba County School District said it wouldn’t host the April 2 prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School after the ACLU demanded McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend. District officials said they hoped private citizens would sponsor a prom instead.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend and wear the tuxedo.
