Mar 22, 2010
McMillen Gets Day In Court – Bigoted School Officials Upset Over Name Calling
Constance McMillen and her ACLU lawyers appeared before the U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson claiming that the school district violated her 1st Amendment Rights when they canceled the prom rather than allow a lesbian to attend. The school district in-turn claims the prom was canceled because McMillen’s “challenge to the rules had caused disruptions” not because they wanted to punish the young lady for being born a lesbian.
The homophobic bigots running the Itawamba County school district deserve no less than prison for endangering this wonderful young woman. By blatantly promoting discrimination against Constance the principal and school administrators exposed her to unnecessary violence and death threats.
ACLU attorney Kristy Bennett said in court Monday that the district violated McMillen’s First Amendment rights and that it was the decision to cancel the prom — not McMillen’s request to bring her girlfriend — that caused the disruptions school officials described.
“Any disruption came after the actual cancellation of the prom,” Bennett said.
In closing arguments, Bennett said the district “shouldn’t be able to censor Ms. McMillen’s speech simply by canceling the prom.”
Ben Griffith, an attorney representing the school district, said holding or attending a prom is not a constitutional right.
District officials “took a step they considered to be necessary,” he said.
McMillen testified the district’s decision led to hostility toward her on campus. She said she left school early the day after the district’s decision and didn’t go at all the next day.
“There were so many dirty looks,” McMillen said. “A lot of people didn’t like me very much.”
The 715-student high school is located in Fulton, a town of about 4,000 in rural north Mississippi. The entire county school district has 3,588 students.
Principal Trae Wiygul said he had been “bombarded” with e-mails, most from people criticizing the district’s decision.
“I’ve been called every name known to man,” Wiygul said. “I’ve been called a bigot and homophobic.”
U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson, who is hearing the case, did not say when he would rule, but said he wants to do it quickly because “time is of the essence.”
Parents are now organizing a prom. School officials said it is open to the public, but McMillen said she had not been told about it.
The ACLU and gay rights groups have raised private funds for a May 8 prom in Tupelo that’s open to everyone but geared toward gay students. Bennett said planning for the “second-chance” prom was underway before McMillen’s case began, but “the outpouring for Constance enables this to be a much bigger event.”
Principal Trae Wiygul forbids Constance and her girlfriend from attending the prom then cancels the prom all together rather than allow any Gays or Lesbians to attend the event. He then has the nerve to whine about being called homophobic and a bigot. Principal Wiygul could be the poster child for homophobia.
