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Teen punished for wearing Elsa costume to school ‘Disney Day’

Teen punished for wearing Elsa costume to school ‘Disney Day’

Austin Lacey, an eighth-grade student at Ethan Chase Middle School in Menifee, California, found himself in hot water for dressing like a Frozen princess for the school’s “Disney Day.” School officials deemed it “inappropriate” and confiscated the costume.

“This action was taken in accordance with district policies. At no time was there an indication that the student was expressing any particular message. The Principal’s action was based upon the need to stop a general disruption to the school environment,” Romoland School District Superintendent Dr. Julie Vitale said in a statement released to the media.

Lacey and his mother disagree. He says his costume was popular with fellow students until the principal forced him to remove the blue dress and long blonde wig.

“[Lacey] was later informed that the principal does not believe that boys should be dressed like girls,” his mother Brooke Francev told reporters. “I can’t believe that there are still people out there that hold those beliefs, especially on a day when it was all intended in good fun. It really shouldn’t have been an issue.”

“My son, personally, he’s not a transgender student,” she said. “But through this, he’s really taken a stand on just the rights that all people have.”

Dr. Vitale said in her statement that the school district “prides itself on having policies and practices that support all students regardless of gender identity or gender expression.”

Watch below as Los Angeles TV station KTLA interviews Lacey and his mother.

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