Vegan Forum

Date: Monday April 11th 2005

Time: approximately 11:40 AM

Description: A few weeks before the incident I spoke with my principal and requested an alternative meal at our schools prom. He was fully respectful to me and responded that I would have to speak directly to the sponsor. I went to look for her, to no avail. After that, the sponsor was out for several weeks due to health related reasons. The day she came to visit I looked for her again but she had already left. On the day she returned, I managed to speak with her. I made my request for an alternative meal and the response given was that it's "not possible." After hearing her response I then asked if I could "just not order food." Her response to this was [and I quote] "That's not an option because it comes with the package." [End quote] Because prom is a school-sponsored event, and because veganism is a part of my personal religious beliefs and convictions I feel that this incident is a violation of my first amendment rights.

I sent the following to several organizations:

To Whom it may Concern:

According the first amendment of the US Constitution,
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof." I have read that the Ohio Supreme Court
has interprets that as "any sincerely held moral belief."
( http://www.animal-law.org/srco/kisscmpt.htm ) I was wondering if
you had any information and resources as to this being held true in either
Illinois or federal legislation, and would pertain to high school students.
I have heard that a school is required by law to honour a student's right not
to eat meat, and to choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Does this
rule pertain to optional events such as high school proms? If a school
requires a student attending the event to place an order for food, and
refuses to offer an alternative meal upon request, would this qualify as
discrimination and a student's rights violation due to the fact that it is
disrespect/disregard for a sincerely held moral belief? Also, since I am a Christian and vegetarianism is a part of my religious beliefs I should have my first amendment rights.

Any information, facts and resources on the issue that you have
would be of great help!

Civilly disobedient,

Bonnie

And I received the following response:

Dear Bonnie and All:

We believe your concepts are correct, but we don't know the law well enough
to confirm whether or not their is any case history in the courts.

Vegetarianism and veganism are long and well established lifestyles, and to
discriminate against a person with those beliefs could also place your
concepts under the anti-discrimination laws.

This would be something very interesting for a lawyer to explore, and
publish on our web sites.

In the Love of the Lord,

Frank and Mary
http://www.all-creatures.org
-If you really want God to bless America and the world...GO VEGAN!

Any info, resources or advice would be extrememly helpful!

OMG! Why don't you just eat before you go? Or when it's time to eat, just eat the vegetables and hand the meat off to a friend. Why make a big deal out of it and inconvenience everyone? Your the exception not the rule. Grow up and try not to be a pain in the ass the rest of your life!

Scott

The whole point is not to sponsor the meat industry.
So being a pain in the ass is the right thing to do in this case.
That's my humble opinion.

Hmm.. have u tried talking to ur principal again regarding the matter? Or get some vegetairnas to sign a petition form and talk to the woman again? I personally find it better to keep the law out of this as far as possible but of course thats ur choice. However, I do think it will be possible to come up with 1 or 2 tables for vegetarians and vegans at the prom, unless u r the only one ard..

I agree w sage regarding juz picking off the veggies if there was no other choice, however u do have a choice here, so it is possible. And I must admit, we do need to let veg*s voices heard in order to promote veg

Kissing_Angels, if you feel you're being ignored on purpose, you can try simulate a hunger-strike, just for the fun of it.
For vegans it's easy.