The students at Central Islip High School elected Faith Shepherd as their homecoming king in a show of support for the LGBT community.
On Monday night, the school board voted on a measure that would have allowed only boys to run for king and girls to run for queen.
Many students and parents turned out to support Faith, but some parents said she should not be allowed to serve as king.
"Let's face it," one parent said. "It's going too far, to the morals of the communtiy, to the morals of the world, when you elect a woman to be a homecoming king."
Most students and most parents did not see it that way at all. They saw a high school where, far from being bullied as often happens, LGBT students in Central Islip were embraced, and Faith's landslide election proved that.
"Our students are doing exactly what we teach them," another parent said. "Respect and tolerance."
In the end, the board decided Faith should be allowed to serve as homecoming king and the measure was voted down.
Four board members abstained from the vote.
