2010 Itawamba County School District prom controversy

The 2010 Itawamba County School District prom controversy took place in Itawamba County, Mississippi, and began when lesbian student Constance McMillen was refused permission to take her girlfriend to the Itawamba County Agricultural High School prom. As a result of a lawsuit brought against the school, the school canceled the prom. Parents were encouraged to organize a private prom, but they canceled it. A second private prom was organized and represented to be the official prom. Meanwhile, parents organized a secret prom to which McMillen was not invited and which most of the student body attended. The school district settled the lawsuit by agreeing to a payment to McMillen and adoption of a sexual orientation non-discrimination policy.

In March 2010, the Itawamba County School District board made international news after it decided to cancel the prom for Itawamba Agricultural High School because 18-year-old lesbian student Constance McMillen had requested permission to take a same-sex date to the event, and to wear a tuxedo. The school board encouraged the creation of a private prom. McMillen called the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which threatened the school with legal action. On March 10, 2010, the ACLU filed a free speech lawsuit on McMillen's behalf, seeking an injunction which would reinstate the prom. The ACLU stated that it was "shameful and cowardly of the school district to have canceled the prom and to try to blame [the student]". On April 21, 2010, an amended complaint was filed, seeking compensatory damages. A court hearing was scheduled to take place on Monday, March 22, 2010.

On a March 12, 2010 appearance on the national CBS Early Show, McMillen said that she had first asked the school principal about bringing a same-sex date to the prom in December 2009, and that he said it was not allowed, due to a concern that pairs of same-sex friends who were not in a relationship would buy less expensive couples tickets instead of individual tickets. McMillen said she told him "you can't pretend like there's not gay people at our school, and if you tell people they can't bring a same-sex date, that is discrimination to them." Although the school board did not explicitly say the prom was cancelled due to McMillen's request, the cancellation came only one week after the ACLU sent a letter to the board pleading her case.

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