A school in Mississippi, USA, has cancelled its prom instead of letting a lesbian student bring her girlfriend.
The case has landed up in the courts with a federal judge ruling this week that the school district's actions violated the student's constitutional rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union has been demanding that the district be forced to put on the prom on April 2.
The judge refused this demand but said cancelling it did violate 18-year-old Constance McMillen's rights and he would hold a trial on the issue.
McMillen has been openly gay since she was in the eighth grade and wanted to wear a tuxedo to the prom and take her girlfriend along.
Judge Glen H. Davidson said: "The court finds this expression and communication falls squarely within the purview of the First Amendment."
School officials say they decided to cancel the event because McMillen's challenge to the rules had "caused disruptions".
McMillen says she is happy with the ruling but has been receiving hostility and comments from other students and doesn't know what to expect when she goes back to school.
Parents are now planning to hold a private prom but McMillen isn't sure whether she will attend.
"I want to go because all my junior and senior class will be there, but I don't want to be somewhere I'm not welcomed," she said.
McMillen has become something of a celebrity in the USA, appearing on "The Early Show," ''The Wanda Sykes Show" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to talk about how she is fighting for tolerance.
She was presented with a $30,000 college scholarship from digital media company Tonic by DeGeneres and a Facebook page set up by the ACLU for McMillen has over 400,000 fans.
The school district says it was a "no-win situation" and wants to get back to educating students.
What do you think? Should this student be allowed to go to the prom with her girlfriend?
Source: ParentDishUS