After suing the school district, a 17-year-old Indiana high school student has won the right to wear a tuxedo to her senior prom. The lawsuit challenged a school dress code requiring females to wear formal dresses.
According to the Associated Press, the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit arguing that the dress code was discriminatory on the basis of gender and violated free speech laws. Though the student was not named, court documents described her as a lesbian who believes dresses represent a sexual identity that does not apply to her.
School district attorneys argued that clothing is not a protected form of expression. After the court filing, the school agreed to meet with the student and after several attempts to pacify her, reversed the policy.
“School policy for this year’s prom will be that all attendees shall wear appropriate formal attire with no gender-based attire requirements imposed,” said Superintendent Robert L. Taylor in a statement from the school district. “Female students will be permitted to wear tuxedos if they choose.”
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