Student suspended for wearing his purse (Video)
Posted by: Jon Ben-Mayor on 11/08/2013 08:22 AM
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A 13 year old was suspended from his Kanasas school for refusing to remove his Vera Bradley purse; his mother thinks that the school is discriminating against her son since all the girls carry bags and wear short shorts without any action being taken against them.
Skyler is a student at Anderson County Senior-Junior School. He said he has been carrying the colorful fabric Vera Bradley bag over his shoulder for some time with no issues.
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He was summoned to Assistant Principal Don Hillard's office after he wouldn't take it off.
"I went to the office and I refused to take it off, and they suspended me," the teen explained.
School personnel then called his mother, Leslie Willis, to come get her son.
"I was a little furious, and I called the school [and spoke to Hillard] to reverify the story, and yeah, he refused to take off his Vera Bradley bag, nothing more to it," Willis said.
She said she reviewed the student handbook but did not see anything pertaining to bags or purses. She questions the suspension and the timing.
"Skyler has been going to school since August with that same Vera Bradley bag on, hasn't taken it off. What is the problem?" she asked.
Willis said her son was criticized by school personnel for going public.
"Skyler can speak freely about what's bothering him. I have taught him this. Now the school is upset because he spoke out," she wrote.
Blome said he hasn't spoken with the teen or his mother. He said he didn't know whether any staff member would have criticized the student for speaking publicly, but said the district certainly cannot stop the student or his mother from doing so.
Willis said she was told that the suspension wouldn't be lifted until Skyler stops wearing the purse, which he had said on Wednesday that he wouldn't do.
But with some time to reflect, the teen is unlikely to dig in his heels forever.
"We're going to have to find some compromise in this," his mother said. She didn't detail what that could be.
Skyler is a student at Anderson County Senior-Junior School. He said he has been carrying the colorful fabric Vera Bradley bag over his shoulder for some time with no issues.
He was summoned to Assistant Principal Don Hillard's office after he wouldn't take it off.
"I went to the office and I refused to take it off, and they suspended me," the teen explained.
School personnel then called his mother, Leslie Willis, to come get her son.
"I was a little furious, and I called the school [and spoke to Hillard] to reverify the story, and yeah, he refused to take off his Vera Bradley bag, nothing more to it," Willis said.
She said she reviewed the student handbook but did not see anything pertaining to bags or purses. She questions the suspension and the timing.
"Skyler has been going to school since August with that same Vera Bradley bag on, hasn't taken it off. What is the problem?" she asked.
Willis said her son was criticized by school personnel for going public.
"Skyler can speak freely about what's bothering him. I have taught him this. Now the school is upset because he spoke out," she wrote.
Blome said he hasn't spoken with the teen or his mother. He said he didn't know whether any staff member would have criticized the student for speaking publicly, but said the district certainly cannot stop the student or his mother from doing so.
Willis said she was told that the suspension wouldn't be lifted until Skyler stops wearing the purse, which he had said on Wednesday that he wouldn't do.
But with some time to reflect, the teen is unlikely to dig in his heels forever.
"We're going to have to find some compromise in this," his mother said. She didn't detail what that could be.
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