A school board in Central Islip is debating whether their homecoming king can be a female student.

The controversy surrounds Central Islip High School senior Faith Shepherd. Shepherd, 17, is openly gay and won homecoming king back in October. However, now there is a call to make sure it never happens again.

Bishop Donald Hudson, of the Common Ground Christian Life Church, says that allowing girls to be crowned king is an "outrageous violation of tradition." He asked the school board to change its homecoming gender policy in November.

Central Islip superintendent Dr. Craig Carr says right now there is no rule on the gender of king and queen titles.

The board of education will decide if there should be a change to the current policy.

Shepherd told News 12 that she never meant for any of this to happen and she wants to stand up for gender equality.

Even though she identifies herself as a female, Shepherd wanted to make it easier for transgendered people to express themselves openly in school, if they wanted to. The school agreed.

The school board tabled the issue at a meeting Monday night. They say it will be addressed next month.