Did Pregnancy Cost Her a Crown? : Trustees to Probe Student’s Homecoming Queen Charge

Community college district trustees agreed Wednesday to investigate whether a Los Angeles Southwest College student was recently passed over as homecoming queen because she was pregnant.

Flanked by her fiance and attorney Gloria Allred, Marvina Jones, 22, asked the board to institute a districtwide, anti-discrimination policy to avoid future situations in which pregnant students might feel “disappointed and victimized.”

Trustees, after pointing out that the district already has a general anti-discrimination policy, agreed to look into Jones’ allegations of rejection by the Associated Student Body Organization, which ran the contest.

“The policy of this board has been sensitive to discrimination,” emphasized Trustee Wallace Albertson.

Southwest College President Thomas Lakin agreed, declaring that “anyone who discriminates against a pregnant woman is certainly not a friend of mine and I don’t condone it.”

Lakin later expressed displeasure that he was never contacted by Jones or Allred before their appearance Wednesday at the Los Angeles Community College District trustees’ meeting.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when a student who feels they’ve been wronged will not even take it upon themselves to consult the college president, but will proceed to hire a media-conscious attorney who will then make a grandstand before the Board of Trustees about an issue that probably could have been resolved directly on campus when it occurred,” Lakin told a reporter.

Allred told the board that Jones had complied with contest rules by submitting an essay to the student organization, but was later told that the contest had been canceled.

However, at halftime of the homecoming football game, one of the six other contestants was introduced as the queen, Allred said. At the game, Jones was told by a student organization officer that she had not been selected because she was pregnant, the lawyer said.

Allegations Denied

Jones’ allegations were denied Wednesday by Oraelena (Cookie) Morris, president of the student organization. Morris said Jones was rejected because she failed to show up at a hastily arranged judging rally three days before the game.

Morris said that when a call was placed to Jones’ home to alert her to the rally, her sister said she was sleeping.

Rather than discriminate against the pregnant freshman student, Morris said, “I’m the one who asked for Marvina to run” for homecoming queen.

Jones, whose baby is due in February, denied Wednesday that Morris had asked her to enter the contest.