Good. They deserve it, the pebble-minded swamp bigots. I hope she takes them to the cleaners.

the school board said the controversy over the ban caused "distractions to the educational process"

Not until you made it such, you farking cretins.

In the statement, school board members said they hoped a private group would host the event.

Translation: We have already set-up arraignments with a bigoted booster to have the prom at their private facility. We figure that will make an end run around the law, as it is private property and discrimination is legal on private property.

I guess if both of the girls were hot, the school would have no problem... with those two at least. Ugly lesbians and gay guys would still be banned.

Now go and enjoy your court-ordered prom night.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Hope you enjoy legal bills School Board.

FTFA: "after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students"

How, exactly, is some girl from bringing her girlfriend going to impact the education, safety and well being of the students? Holy hysteria Batman!

DarthBrooks: Now go and enjoy your court-ordered prom night.

If the bigoted kids still want to stay home, nothing's stopping them.

Cagey B: Yep. Those evil commies at the ACLU would rather the school hold the prom like normal instead of cancelling it so that gay people can't attend. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE

darkyn: FTFA: "after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students"

How, exactly, is some girl from bringing her girlfriend going to impact the education, safety and well being of the students? Holy hysteria Batman!

If you let same sex couples attend, you have to let people bring their pets and someone might have a wolverine.

I missed the legal requirement for a school to run a prom.

Sounds like the school figured out extra-curricular activities are a liability nightmare, and based on the number of lawyers who showed up, that's a pretty accurate conclusion for the school administrators.

DarthBrooks: I missed the legal requirement for a school to run a prom.


They're not; however, when they do have a school function they are required to follow the law. By banning the prom, it's a clear statement that they'd rather be bigoted than follow the law.

It's like when that state (Illinois, Ohio?) stopped the "Adopt a Highway" program rather than let the Klan participate. I wish the Klan would all die in a cross burning fire, but they should have been allowed to clean up a road like any other group.


I wonder if the ACLU will take the tack that they can't just ban the prom at one school, but rather would have to ban them across the state.

I also like how the school board says they wouldn't want any students to feel "uncomfortable" and that is why they did it.

My guess is, even in the deep south, most students don't give a damn anymore about friends being gay (sure, there are probably a handful of bigot students, but, not like 40 years ago), but, I'm sure this is much more just parents projecting their own feelings onto their kids.

crimsin23: But the program was stopped, there is nothing illegal in that.

Law often takes into account intent.

crimsin23: Why should the whole state follow?

Because banning the prom at one school is tantamount to a Bill of Attainder.

DarthBrooks: I missed the legal requirement for a school to run a prom.

Way to absolutely, COMPLETELY miss the point.

DarthBrooks: Sounds like the school figured out extra-curricular activities are a liability nightmare, and based on the number of lawyers who showed up, that's a pretty accurate conclusion for the school administrators.

Sounds like the school administrators are a bunch of bigots, and you're making excuses for them while taking their side.

GAT_00: Way to absolutely, COMPLETELY miss the point.

By all means, please explain why a school should be ordered to open itself up to more litigation if it sees obvious liability entanglements?

DarthBrooks: By all means, please explain why a school should be ordered to open itself up to more litigation if it sees obvious liability entanglements?

How'd that work out for them?

DarthBrooks: By all means, please explain why a school should be ordered to open itself up to more litigation if it sees obvious liability entanglements?

They opened themselves up to litigation by banning gay couples from attending together, not by holding the event itself. That you, SkinnyHead?

tallguywithglasseson: Sounds like the school administrators are a bunch of bigots, and you're making excuses for them while taking their side.

If you own a swimming pool and you start seeing a lot of lawsuits for concussions, you take out the diving boards. You don't hold a "Hooray for Diving Boards" party.

Gecko Gingrich: How'd that work out for them?

ACLU will have to make the case that a prom is somehow part of the mandated state curriculum for Alabama schools. Good luck with that.

DarthBrooks: If you own a swimming pool and you start seeing a lot of lawsuits for concussions, you take out the diving boards. You don't hold a "Hooray for Diving Boards" party.

If you own a swimming pool and start seeing a lot of lawsuits for discrimination, you take out the "whites only" sign. The administrators are saying they just need to close the pool.

DarthBrooks: ACLU will have to make the case that a prom is somehow part of the mandated state curriculum for Alabama schools. Good luck with that.

Not sure why they would have to argue that, considering the school is in Mississippi.

DarthBrooks: If you own a swimming pool and you start seeing a lot of lawsuits for concussions, you take out the diving boards.

And to what lawsuit was the school exposing itself if it had let the girl wear a tuxedo?

WhyteRaven74: DarthBrooks: If you own a swimming pool and you start seeing a lot of lawsuits for concussions

So you're saying the school should be free to ban a lesbian couple from attending? Really? Because that's what will get a lawsuit going.

No, that's your strawman argument. The school admins talk to a lawyer and say, "what's the fastest way of ending this lawsuit?" and the lawyers tell them, "hell, what are you in the prom business for? Shut it down." So they did.

Picking who gets to go to a prom is a liability catastrophe for a school: do you card the attendees, so that you're not winding up with adults dating minors? Are you going to be liable for what happens to the kids coming home from a school sponsored event? Forget that noise. Cancel the prom and get away from the swarm of lawyers waiting for such opportunities.

Flab: And to what lawsuit was the school exposing itself if it had let the girl wear a tuxedo?

The same one that's best covered by doing what the school's lawyers told them to do: cancel the prom and get out of the party planning business.

tallguywithglasseson: DarthBrooks: ACLU will have to make the case that a prom is somehow part of the mandated state curriculum for Alabama schools. Good luck with that.

Not sure why they would have to argue that, considering the school is in Mississippi.

Sorry, typoed a Gulf Coast state. Your pedantry is awesome.

DarthBrooks: If you own a swimming pool and you start seeing a lot of lawsuits for concussions, you take out the diving boards. You don't hold a "Hooray for Diving Boards" party.

Ok, so in your analogy:

"you" = the school board
"swimming pool" = school
"concussions" = lawsuits for discrimination
"diving boards" = homosexuals

The part where you trip up (well, one of many) is that the Prom isn't a "Hooray for Homosexuals!" party. No one is saying that they have to embrace homosexuals, just that they can't turn them away.

Oh, and since Fark ate the first image post....

FTA: A lot of students won't look her in the eye


I can imagine.

DarthBrooks: Picking who gets to go to a prom is a liability catastrophe for a school: do you card the attendees, so that you're not winding up with adults dating minors? Are you going to be liable for what happens to the kids coming home from a school sponsored event? Forget that noise. Cancel the prom and get away from the swarm of lawyers waiting for such opportunities.

That's very noble, but utter hogwash. They said, "We ain't lettin' no queers in this here hoosgow! And iff'n they be sayin' that we gots ta, then we ain't havin' it at all!"

DarthBrooks: The school admins talk to a lawyer and say, "what's the fastest way of ending this lawsuit?" and the lawyers tell them, "hell, what are you in the prom business for? Shut it down." So they did.

How do you know what the lawyers said or did not say to them?

If they'd let the girls go together, why would the lawsuit continue?

Were they seeing a rash of prom-related lawsuits at this school? Around the country?

That's the strawman argument -- yours. Or maybe it's a red herring. I forget which.

Here's the school's rational for canceling the prom:

"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".

Please note they do NOT say "this is what our lawyers told us to do to stop lawsuits".

So kindly move onto your next excuse.

DarthBrooks: Sorry, typoed a Gulf Coast state. Your pedantry is awesome.

Thank you, I do try to keep a modicum of humor at all times.

DarthBrooks: No, that's your strawman argument.

It's not a strawman argument, it's the actual argument. They canceled the prom instead of being forced to allow one lesbian couple then "encouraged" a private prom, which I'm sure all the administrators would attend and would probably be held in the exact same place. ACLU called their bluff.

Gecko Gingrich: Ok, so in your analogy:

"you" = the school board
"swimming pool" = school
"concussions" = lawsuits for discrimination
"diving boards" = homosexualsPROMS

The part where you trip up (well, one of many) is that the Prom isn't a "Hooray for HomosexualsProms!" party. No one is saying that they have to embrace homosexuals, just that they can't turn them away.

Sorry you misunderstood the point. The school isn't canceling homosexuality. It's canceling a prom.

That they only say they're canceling for this year might cause them some difficulties.

DarthBrooks: Sorry, typoed a Gulf Coast state. Your pedantry is awesome.

Oh and in case you actually think the ACLU will have to prove "that a prom is somehow part of the mandated state curriculum" to win the case -- IANAL, but I very much doubt they will be required to prove (or seek to prove) any such thing.

IIRC the ACLU had begun legal proceedings to allow the lesbian couple to attend and the school's response was to SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING. The ACLU's just saying, "hey sh*theads - not so fast".

Klingon Penis: My guess is that schools aren't legally liable for what goes down off school grounds. So no, no decent lawyer would advise a school that way, unless the school was really up for a protracted legal fight.

I don't see the part in the article where this isn't being held at the school. And if it's being held off school grounds there's even less of a reason for the school to be involved at all.

Really - to what advantage at all would a school involve itself with such a liability trap as a prom?