Boy Claims He Was Suspended From School for Wearing a Purse; School Says There's More to It
An eighth-grader in Kansas claims he was suspended from school for wearing a purse, but school officials are claiming that simply is not the case.
13-year-old Skylar Davis attends Anderson County Senior-Junior School recently was given the notice of suspension but believes he was unfairly singled out for wearing a purse he claims other female students are permitted to wear.
"I don't think everyone should be treated differently," Skyler Davis told KCTV on Wednesday. "Everyone should have the same privileges."
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When asked by reporters to shed more light on the situation Anderson County School District Superintendent Don Blome insisted that he could not reveal details of the incident due to privacy concerns.
Blome did add that as part of the schools policy students are not allowed to bring backpacks or bags/purses in core classrooms and are told to leave such items in their lockers.
"We strive to make sure we treat every kid alike and there are classroom rules we expect kids to follow," he told KCTV on Thursday. "They can bring (bags and purses) to school. There's no policy against that. But the classroom rules are that they can't bring it to the classroom."
The day the suspension was levied Skylar was told to go and speak with Assistant Principal Don Hillard's office after reportedly refusing to remove the accessory.
"I went to the office and I refused to take it off, and they suspended me," the teen added. "It expresses myself and I think everyone else can wear it, so I wear it as well," Skyler told KCTV5's Dave Jordan.
The school then notified the student's mother and was told to come pick up he son.
"I was a little furious, and I called the school [and spoke to Hillard] to re-verify the story, and yeah, he refused to take off his Vera Bradley bag, nothing more to it," Willis told reporters.
Willis added that she went back and read the student handbook but could not find the section regarding bags or purses and now questions the timing of the suspension given that her son has worn the purse to school since August.
"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.
