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Teen girl kicked out of prom for rocking a stylish, modest outfit
Many girls wait (almost) four long years to finally say "sayonara" to high school with one epic night of music and memories: PROM.
So what happens when the fairytale moment arrives…but when you walk in, your school threatens to call the police and have you kicked out?
That’s what happened when Aniya Wolf—a student at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pa.—tried to rock a tux to her prom last week.
While the chic menswear trend has been having a major moment in the fashion world lately, Aniya tells ABC27 News that she’s been dressing in a more masculine style ever since she was a little girl. But she’s not transgender—she was born a girl and feels like a girl, and identifies as a lesbian (who just so happens to like clothes that are traditionally considered to be boyish).
“I was always more masculine,” she tells ABC27 News. “You wouldn’t catch me playing with any Barbie dolls.”
During her three years attending Bishop McDevitt, a Catholic school, Aniya wore a uniform of pants and a shirt. When it came time for prom, Aniya and her mother went out and got a suit for her to wear because dresses just aren’t her thing.
But right before prom, Aniya’s family says that something suddenly changed; they received an email stating that all girls must wear a dress to prom (even though this wasn’t stated in the original prom dress code). The school told Aniya’s family that if she did not want to attend prom in a dress, they would refund the price of her ticket.
Aniya’s mom, Carolyn Wolf, called the school. “I told them that I had read the dress code that was given to the students and I didn’t think that it precluded [Aniya] from wearing a suit,” she tells ABC27 News. “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.”
But Aniya had been looking forward to the event so much that she decided to attend prom anyway. When she arrived, Aniya stated that an official from the school pulled her aside and told her that if she didn’t leave, they would call the police.
“I think my experience shouldn’t be any different than anyone else’s just because of something I was born with,” she said outside of her prom. She stated that while many of her classmates support her, school officials make her feel like “a mistake.” She also points out that her outfit was extremely modest in comparison to some of the dresses allowed into prom.
The school responded with a Facebook post stating the dress code “specified girls must wear formal dresses” and had contacted Aniya’s mother in advance of prom in hopes of resolving the situation. They also said they will “continue to practice acceptance and love” for all of their students.
Watch Aniya in her interview with ABC27 News here, then tell us: What do you think of the school’s decision to insist on dresses only at prom—and kick Aniya out? How would you react if you were asked to leave prom because of what you were wearing?
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