What was supposed to be a memorable night for Aniya Wolf became unforgettable for the wrong reasons at Bishop McDevitt High School when fashion police came after her for wearing a tuxedo at prom on Friday — a defiant decision as the school sent its strict dress code policy to parents in February and a second reminder in March.
“The dress code for the prom specified girls must wear formal dresses,” Bishop McDevitt High School said in a statement. “It also stated that students who failed to follow the dress code would not be admitted.”
The school even reached out to Aniya’s mother, Carolyn Wolf, in attempts to talk her daughter out of a tuxedo and into a dress.
But the teen stuck by her fashion statement, which she said suited her since she was a child.
“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.”
The high school student is a lesbian who prefers wearing men’s clothes, she told the local station.
Her mother called the situation “very unfair,”almost ruining the excitement for prom.
“We had gone out and bought a new suit. I think my daughter is beautiful in a suit,” Carolyn told the station.
After looking forward to going to prom for months, Aniya chose to defy the dress code and attend the extravaganza on Friday night in a tuxedo, despite the restrictions.
When she was there, the principal grabbed her arm and threatened to call the police if she didn’t leave, Aniya said.
“Sadly I was not admitted into the Prom,” she wrote on a Facebook post. “They can’t take my pride.”
She complied but raised frustrations that the school found her tuxedo offensive while girls wore revealing dresses that were ruled acceptable under the dress code.
“I think my experience shouldn’t be any different than anyone else’s because of something I was born with,” Aniya told reporters as she stood outside of her prom, after she was booted from the event.
While her classmates have made her feel welcome, she said school officials made her feel like “a mistake.”
The school denies that it was specifically targeting the teen, noting that several students in the past who have violated the dress code were also kicked out of prom.
“Bishop McDevitt will continue to practice acceptance and love for all our students,” the school said in a statement. “We simply ask that they follow the rules that we have put into place.”
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