Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Mississippi school pays damages to lesbian teen over prom dispute

I'm pleased by this piece of news.

Mississippi school pays damages to lesbian teen over prom dispute

A school district in Mississippi has agreed to pay a recent high school graduate $35,000 in damages and adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to a statement released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. The settlement comes after the ACLU sued the school district in Fulton, Mississippi, on behalf of Constance McMillen, a lesbian teen who was told by Itawamba Agricultural High School officials she and her girlfriend would be ejected if they attended the school-sponsored prom.
Tags: activism, education, gender studies, news
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  • 7 comments
msstacy13

msstacy13

July 21 2010, 08:38:12 UTC 10 years ago

Is HRC going to pay damages and give transsexuals their gender identity back?
judifilksign

judifilksign

July 21 2010, 15:09:08 UTC 10 years ago

I'm glad the district policy was changed. Now, it will be interesting if that politically correct policy is actually followed or not.
ysabetwordsmith

Well...

ysabetwordsmith

July 21 2010, 18:47:42 UTC 10 years ago

If it goes like the issue of Pagan students wearing pentacles in school, it'll take 3-5 rounds before the schools get to where they back down when you show them the legal paperwork. You need a batch of examples showing they can't win before they'll quit harassing people. Pagan students still get hassled, but it's a much shorter loop now if the parents are aware of the resources they can bring to bear. Most schools won't risk losing the money; they can't afford to.
judifilksign

Pentacles

judifilksign

July 21 2010, 20:58:09 UTC 10 years ago

A local gang in our city uses pentacles in their "regalia," which makes honest pagans wearing pentacles have an extra-hard time, because schools want to eliminate gang symbolism.

I point out to my administrators that another gang uses stars of David in their graffiti, but that we don't make Jewish students take off their necklaces.

I generally solve the issue by asking the pagan student to tell me a creed of their belief. I usually get back the Law of Three, or "Do as you will, but harm none." I let administration know that the student has an honest belief, and not to mess with it. Mostly, the pagans have their symbols under their shirts anyway, so the issue rarely comes up.

For those who respond, "Uh, it's just, like, kewl," I refer to the office only if they have other markers for being in a gang, like dressing entirely in one color, refusing to write certain letters or numbers, or other idiocies.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Pentacles

ysabetwordsmith

July 21 2010, 21:18:44 UTC 10 years ago

That sounds like a very reasonable response. I'd recommend it for other school systems that have trouble distinguishing gang from religious symbols due to dual usage (crosses are yet another example).
judifilksign

Re: Pentacles

judifilksign

July 21 2010, 21:25:50 UTC 10 years ago

I ascribe to the belief that zero tolerance policies are zero thought policies. Being reasonable is always so much better in the long run.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Pentacles

ysabetwordsmith

July 21 2010, 21:30:44 UTC 10 years ago

I agree completely. Zero tolerance teaches kids 1) to be intolerant, and 2) that rules are stupid and arbitrary. Then they wind up ignoring the rules, including those that have real safety reasons behind them like "don't run while holding something sharp." Discernment is not only an important part of maturity, it's a crucial survival skill.