TAMPA, FL - The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed suit today on behalf of Robinson High School Senior Nikki Youngblood against the Hillsborough County School District, Florida for creating and enforcing the illegal senior portrait policy that prevented Youngblood's senior portrait from appearing in the High School yearbook alongside those of her classmates. The suit alleges violations of both state and federal sex discrimination laws, as well as federal and state constitutional violations of Youngblood's right to free expression and equal protection.

Robinson High School, with the full support of the school district, still clings to a decades-old policy requiring all female students to wear an ultra-feminine scoop neck drape for their senior portraits, while allowing male students to wear a white shirt and tie of their choosing. The school refused to create an exception for a female student who voiced her objection to being forced to wear frilly, stereotypically "feminine" attire. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal to them," said Youngblood. "This is how I dressed in school every day. I even wore a tuxedo to a school dance. This is 2002, not 1802. No female student should be deprived of the right to be in the yearbook because she does not want to wear a frilly drape." Youngblood hasn't worn a skirt or dress since elementary school and wears what would typically be considered unisex or male clothing. When Youngblood and her mother showed up at the photography studio for Youngblood's senior portrait, they requested that Youngblood be permitted to wear the shirt and tie instead. The photography studio refused, claiming they needed a letter from the school before they could permit her to forego wearing the drape in favor of a shirt and tie.

Robinson Vice Principal David Fyfe informed Youngblood's mom that he and Principal Kevin McCarthy decided that if she wanted to appear alongside her classmates in the yearbook, she must wear the drape. Mr. Fyfe informed them that if Youngblood refused to wear the drape, the only other option was to buy an advertisement in the yearbook, pay for her own photography sitting and photos in the clothing she wanted to wear, and then her picture could appear in the yearbook - not with the other graduating seniors - but in the back of the book alongside all of the other ads.

As a result of the school's discriminatory policy, the yearbook space that Youngblood's portrait would have occupied was blank. To add insult to injury, Youngblood's name was not even listed in the index among the graduating seniors.

"We're very disappointed that school officials forced this to litigation," said Youngblood's lawyer, Karen Doering, a staff attorney for NCLR and consultant to Equality Florida. "Nikki is not a rebellious kid trying to destroy the sanctity of the school yearbook. She simply wanted to appear in her yearbook as herself - not a fluffed up stereotype of what school administrators thought she should look like."

About the National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national, lesbian-feminist, non-profit law firm dedicated to achieving full human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families. NCLR litigates impact cases, conducts public policy, sponsors free legal clinics, provides technical assistance to attorneys litigating LGBT cases nationwide, and provides free legal information and advice to thousands of individuals annually. NCLR is also dedicated to increasing public and community awareness of LGBT issues by sponsoring public workshops and events. NCLR is based in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit www.nclrights.org  

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