Gay Prom Controversy at Ga. High School Leads to Federal Lawsuit

Two faculty advisers to the student council at Alpharetta High School fired that body’s president last month after he introduced a resolution to make the Prom Queen & King competition more inclusive to gay students by renaming it the Prom Court, a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges.

Reuben Lack, the former student body president at Alpharetta High School, presented the proposal at the Jan. 12 student council meeting. As the students began a “vibrant discussion” of the resolution, faculty adviser Michelle Werre intervened, Lack’s lawyer, James Radford, told Fenuxe Wednesday evening.

“Before there could be a formal vote, the adviser shut the discussion down,” Radford said.

At the next student council meeting two weeks later, Lack, who is not gay, re-introduced the measure “out of defiance,” but was again thwarted by the faculty adviser, Radford said.

“A week after that, he is called into a meeting with the two faculty advisers for student council, and they inform him, ‘We’re sorry, but you are no longer president of the student council,” Radford said. “It was that abrupt.”

Listed as defendants in the first amendment lawsuit are faculty advisers Werre and Emily Reiser, as well as school principal Shannon Kersey.

Lack and his family attempted to work with the school to avoid a lawsuit and publicity, but received a dismissive letter from the school’s attorney, Radford said.

The lawsuit seeks to restore Lack to his elected office, as well as unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.