Girl's prom memory is ruined, how sad?

[deep]

Teen sues over Confederate flag prom dress


LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) -- A teenager is suing her school district for barring her from the prom last spring because she was wearing a dress styled as a large Confederate battle flag.

The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court claims the Greenup County district and administrators violated Jacqueline Duty's First Amendment right to free speech and her right to celebrate her heritage at predominantly white Russell High School's prom May 1. She also is suing for defamation, false imprisonment and assault.

"Her only dance for her senior prom was on the sidewalk to a song playing on the radio," said her lawyer, Earl-Ray Neal.

Duty, 19, is seeking actual and punitive damages in excess of $50,000.

She said she worked on the design for the dress for four years, though she acknowledged that some might find the Confederate flag offensive.

"Everyone has their own opinion. But that's not mine," she told reporters outside the courthouse. "I'm proud of where I came from and my background."

Duty, now a college student, said school officials told her before the prom not to wear the dress, but she didn't have another one and decided to see if administrators would change their minds.

According to her lawsuit, she was met outside by two police officers and principal Sean Howard. She said the principal intimidated her by striking the vehicle she was in.

School offices were closed Wednesday. Superintendent Ronnie Back did not immediately respond to a call to his home seeking comment.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has promised to help pay some of her legal expenses.

What to think, I just don't know.

 

[pax]

I don't know what to think either, except that that is one ugly-ass dress.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Glad she has her priorities right.

 

[deep]

Beauty is in the eye of the burning cross holder.

 

[indra]

Sorry if this offends anyone, but wouldn't you just know her lawyer's name would be Earl-Ray.

 

[beli]

If she was advised not to wear it and wore it anyway then she has no case.

I thought the USA had really strict rules about flags anyway. Doesnt the USA have a no flag burning law? Something similar? My impression is that flags are serious business over there.

Rightly or wrongly the school sets the dress code. It wasnt a religious nor tradition dress that was banned but rather a sparkly flag. If she had worn a dress appropriate for Confederate women, it may possibly be a different story.

 

[pax]

Yes, I would definitely be proud to be representing a heritage of slavery and human rights abuses.

Thumbs up to Little Miss Ugly-Ass Prom Dress Texas 2004.

 

[deep]

I am burning a flag


.
.
.
right now.


first amendment
free speech


I am waving
my pistola

the pursuit of happiness,
oops, 2nd amendment, i meant to say

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

My eyes just burned themselves out of their sockets.

 

[Angela Harlem]

forget the dress, its just a fucking school dance. jesus.
who taught her this was important?

 

[beli]

Yes, I would definitely be proud to be representing a heritage of slavery and human rights abuses.

Thumbs up to Little Miss Ugly-Ass Prom Dress Texas 2004.

I was trying to remain neutral on those issues. LOL

 

[Angela Harlem]

Pax, Ive decided to be more sympathetic and I recklon you shoud too.

She said she worked on the design for the dress for four years, ...

take heart pax... poor little chicken had no other frock

 

[beli]

forget the dress, its just a fucking school dance. jesus.
who taught her this was important?

I actually wrote a long post about that and then deleted it, as I often do in FYM.

As in

a) tis just a school dance, who the fuck cares

b) why did she spend 4 years dreaming of wearing a glittering monument to slavery, etc

c) Why is she wasting her time now? Isnt it school holidays? Shouldnt she be hanging with her friends? (oh crap, Freud would be proud. LOL)


etc. But I didnt post it cause I thought it might be offensive.

 

[pax]

All joking aside--I am dead serious--why on Earth would someone want to wear that dress to the prom? Why choose that particular moment to wear that particular dress?

I saw that the Sons of Confederate Veterans have offered to pay her legal bills...wouldn't that dress be better suited to a deb ball or a cotillion sponsored by that organization? Again, not kidding.

Strictly legally speaking, I support her right to wear the ugly-ass dress of her choice. Other than that, though, I think it's awful.

 

[Angela Harlem]

you should see what i had writtten before the above one
is poor little whitey an offensive term?

cripes people, im freeing my mind not being a mod anymore!

for poor little redneck whitey with only one dress and priorities set to skewed...

 

[beli]

Doesnt the school have the right to set the dress code though?

 

[pax]

take heart pax... poor little chicken had no other frock

I can't believe she spent four years on that. Seriously.

If she believes so sincerely in the cause of the Confederacy, why wasn't she visiting the descendants of Confederate soldiers in nursing homes or restoring cemeteries or what have you? Once again, absolutely not kidding. To me, I think her time might have been better spent.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I thought the USA had really strict rules about flags anyway. Doesnt the USA have a no flag burning law? Something similar? My impression is that flags are serious business over there.

They are important, yes, and people can be very disapproving of someone burning a flag over here, but it isn't actually illegal to do it-it's protected as free speech.

Anywho, I think school dress codes are stupid as is, 'cause it's not the school's job to tell kids what they can and can't wear-so long as everything's covered that needs to be, I don't see why it's a problem. And while I understand the history with that flag and certainly don't approve of that history and all that, at the same time, it is just a flag, just a piece of cloth, and only means something to those who let it mean something to them. Maybe she's just proud of her Southern heritage, and not necessarily some of the horrible things that came with that.

But if school officials told her she couldn't wear it and she broke the rules, then she gets punished and that's that .

Angela

 

[dandy]

she's suing for defamation? there must be more to the story.



beats getting a student loan, i suppose...

 

[Angela Harlem]

do they have the right to set fire to it as well?

 

[beli]

I can't believe she spent four years on that. Seriously.

Its sequenned (sp?). If she used the old fashioned individual sequens rather than the new fangled ones already on a thread it would have taken a bloody long time.

 

[Pearl]

Originally posted by paxetaurora
All joking aside--I am dead serious--why on Earth would someone want to wear that dress to the prom? Why choose that particular moment to wear that particular dress?

That's exactly what I'm thinking. You're supposed to be relaxed and have a good time at the prom and let others do the same - not make some statement and make the prom all serious!

When will these people realize that they lost the Civil War already?

 

[deep]

. poor little chicken had no other frock

she could have worn a sheet.

 

[U2Kitten]

They are important, yes, and people can be very disapproving of someone burning a flag over here, but it isn't actually illegal to do it-it's protected as free speech.

Anywho, I think school dress codes are stupid as is, 'cause it's not the school's job to tell kids what they can and can't wear-so long as everything's covered that needs to be, I don't see why it's a problem. And while I understand the history with that flag and certainly don't approve of that history and all that, at the same time, it is just a flag, just a piece of cloth, and only means something to those who let it mean something to them. Maybe she's just proud of her Southern heritage, and not necessarily some of the horrible things that came with that.


Angela

 

[Angela Harlem]

you know prince and princess faberge egg didnt spend 4 years on their frocks beli. they're the brunei frock people.

how much does fym hate it when im bored?

 

[beli]

she could have worn a sheet.

I you.

 

[U2Kitten]

Being born and raised in places around battlefields where these men died I could tell another side of this, but I won't since I see most of your minds are already made up and I don't want to fight

 

[Angela Harlem]

she could have worn a sheet.

with eyes cut out and a poin...........





ok, im going to stop now im sure the girl is somehow traumatised...

 

[beli]

you know prince and princess faberge egg didnt spend 4 years on their frocks beli. they're the brunei frock people.

how much does fym hate it when im bored?

No but they had much nicer frocks

I just had a thought. What is this woman going to wear to her wedding one day?

 

[Angela Harlem]

u2k, despite the politics, this still smacks of utter and sheer stupidity. its JUST a dress and JUST a school dance. she is now 19 years old, and shes suing? this is why people on the outside look in and say 'you know, i think americans are a little tense...'