Bigotry In The News 10/17/09 - Update

Ceara Sturgis, the young woman in Mississippi whose yearbook picture was pulled because she posed in a tuxedo, has received a ruling from the superintendent of her school board. The school board has decided to uphold their ruling, according to local news sources.

In a statement released Friday to the Copiah County Courier, school Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the district has no intention of reversing its decision. "We have had our legal counsel research the validity of the position of the School District on this matter," he said in the statement. "We are informed by counsel that this exact issue has been litigated in federal court. The decisions of the federal courts completely support the policy of the district in this regard. It is the desire of the Copiah County School District to inform, first, the patrons of the district, and second, all other interested parties, that its position is not arbitrary, capricious or unlawful, but is based upon sound educational policy and legal precedent."

They're treating this as a dress code issue, nothing more, completely ignoring the sexual orientation undertones of the story. Ceara was featured today in USA Today, and currently has a Facebook fan page, which, at the time of this post, is nearing 1100 fans. Good luck in your fight Ceara.