The goal of public education should be to teach kids reading, writing, arithmetic, history, science, etc. I have yet to see how a prom fits into the equation of a well-rounded education.

While it was not the intention of the American Civil Liberties Union, it finally accomplished something that I can applaud. The ACLU has managed to shut down a high school prom.

The Itawamba County Agricultural High School, located in Fulton, Miss., has a policy that stipulates that if couples attend the high school prom they must be of the opposite sex. This year, a lesbian student requested to attend the event with her girlfriend and was denied.

The ACLU stepped in to represent the girl and demanded that the girls be allowed to attend the prom as a couple. Rest assured, when the ACLU speaks, the threat of a lawsuit is always implied.

In response to the lesbian student’s request and the ACLU’s implied legal action, the Itawamba County School District decided to cancel the event.

A statement released by the school district, located in northern Mississippi, explained its decision to not sponsor the prom was “due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events.”

Later in the same statement, school district officials said, “It is our hope that private citizens will organize the event for the juniors and seniors.”

It is my hope that the action and sentiment of the Itawamba Country School District would become a trend from sea to shining sea.