A Pennsylvania high school student was banned from entering her prom after wearing a suit instead of a dress.
Aniya Wolf, a junior at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, said that a school official grabbed her by the arm and threatened to call the police after she wore a tuxedo to the school dance on Friday.
“I’ve always been like this, ever since I was little,” Aniya told ABC27. “I was always more masculine. You wouldn’t catch me playing with any Barbie dolls, I’ll tell you that right now.”
Aniya said she’s worn pants to school for the past three years and openly identifies as a lesbian. Both Aniya and her mother Carolyn said they received a last minute email from notifying them of the dress code explaining that girls must wear a dress to the dance.
Carolyn then called the school to complain about the notice, and to inform them she had just purchased a new suit for her daughter.
“I told them that I had read the dress code that was given to the students and I didn’t think that it precluded her from wearing a suit,” Carolyn told the station. “I said that this was very unfair, particularly at the last minute. We had gone out and bought a new suit. I think my daughter is beautiful in a suit.”
Still, officials at Bishop McDevitt High School placed the blame on Aniya for not following the dress code.
“The dress code for the prom specified girls must wear formal dresses,” the school said in a statement. “It also stated that students who failed to follow the dress code would not be admitted. Bishop McDevitt will continue to practice acceptance and love for all our students. We simply ask that they follow the rules that we have put into place.”
