Lambda Legal

Logan v. Gary Community School Corporation

Summary

K.K. Logan attended West Side High School in Gary, Indiana during his junior and senior year. He expressed a deeply rooted femininity in his appearance and demeanor, and his classmates and teachers supported him when he wore clothes typically associated with girls his age. But when Logan attended the prom wearing a dress, he was literally blocked by Principal Diane Rouse, who stretched her arms across the door of the off-campus banquet center where the prom was held. Logan's classmates rallied to his defense, as did members of the community who were outside taking pictures of their children, but he was never allowed to attend his prom. The high school justified its actions by referencing a policy that prohibits clothing that advertises one's sexual orientation. Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of Logan. We're arguing that the school violated his First Amendment rights, including the freedoms of speech, symbolic action and expressive conduct, when it rejected him from his prom for wearing a dress.

Context

The First Amendment protects a student's right to freedom of expression, and school officials may not silence student expression just because they dislike it. It is settled law that student expression is protected so long as the expression is not lewd, does not interfere with the rights of others and does not substantially disrupt the school.

Lambda Legal's Impact

LGBTQ students have a right to express themselves in and out of the classroom. If the court in this case rules in favor of the school, administrators might believe they are permitted to silence students by barring any speech or behaviors that express sexual orientation or gender identity.

History

• December 2007 Complaint filed with the United States Dstrict Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond