Aniya Wolf, who goes to Bishop McDevitt High School, wanted to wear a tux rather than a dress to her senior prom.
Never one for girly clothes, the teen told ABC News: “I was always more masculine. You wouldn’t catch me playing with any Barbie dolls, I’ll tell you that right now.”
And when Aniya tried to get into her Catholic school prom, she was sent a message at the last minute to say she would have to wear a dress to be admitted.
The message read: “Good afternoon, Mrs. Wolf, I wanted to provide a copy of the email that I sent out to all of the students on March 9th. I am sure that it is very upsetting to hear today that Aniya’s attire will not be admitted. I did want you to know, that if she chooses not to come, we will certainly refund her ticket money, although I am sure that is not much consolation. I am so sorry to be the bearer of such disappointing news.”
Aniya did still attempt to attend the prom, but she was kicked out and told the police would be called if she didn’t leave the premises.
Her school addressed the issue in a statement, where they said they established the dress code months ago.
“The dress code for the prom specified girls must wear formal dresses. It also stated that students who failed to follow the dress code would not be admitted.
“The full dress code policy was sent to parents about three months ago. A reminder was sent to all students on March 6. On Friday afternoon, when it was brought to the attention of the school administration that a female student was planning to wear a tuxedo, we contacted her mother in hopes we could resolve the situation.
“It’s important to note that students who haven’t adhered to the dress code in past years haven’t been admitted to the prom.
“Bishop McDevitt will continue to practice acceptance and love for all of our students. They are tremendous young men and women. We simply ask that they follow the rules that we have put into place.”
But since the youngster’s story went viral, Aniya has been inundated with support from well-wishers.
Another high school in the area even invited her to join their prom later in May.
