School Board Upholds Yearbook Photo Ban For Tuxedo-Wearing High School Lesbian

The superintendent for Copiah School District in Mississippi has upheld the decision to ban the yearbook photo of out lesbian senior Ceara Sturgis, who posed in a tuxedo.

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."

Sturgis is profiled in today's issue of USA Today, where her mother describes her as a model student. Via Towleroad, here's a Facebook fan page for Sturgis. It already has 600+ members.