Tuscaloosa, AL – Students in an Alabama school district will be allowed to take same-sex dates to prom after a student was told she couldn't.
The issue arose when Brookwood High School sophomore Elizabeth Garrett was told by an administrator to remove a sweat shirt with a pro-gay message. The administrator had earlier indicated that same-sex couples could not attend prom together.
A lawyer for the Tuscaloosa County School System school board says the district has never disallowed same-sex couples from attending prom and only clothing dubbed disruptive was prohibited.
A lawyer from the Southern Poverty Law Center met with the district and says barring someone from attending prom with a same-sex date and the removal of clothing with pro-gay messages would violate constitutional rights of free speech and equal protection.
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