A Georgia mother is ‘furious’ at her daughter’s school after the 13-year-old was pulled out of a dance, and isolated in the school library.
Charissa Mehojah said that her child, who was wearing a black blouse, black slacks, eye shadow and a rose in her hair, was singled out for being transgender.
She was pulled out of a Valentine’s Day dance at Rice Creek School in Port Wentworth, a small city in Chatham County, Ga., located some 10 miles northwest of Savannah.
According to Mehojah, the dance was the first time her daughter was presenting herself as her true gender, during the traumatic episode.
“She was crying and upset because this was the first time she was able to express who she is inside, in a public setting,” the mother told local news station WJCL. “Honestly, she was going to go in a dress, but she chose not to just in case it was going to be a problem,” she added.
When she heard about the episode, Mehojah said she was “furious [and] livid. All she was wearing was an outfit that I or you would wear to go out to eat with a loved one,” she said.
The mother later met with the school counselor and was told that her daughter had been removed because she was wearing a costume.
According to the dress policy for the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, however, there’s nothing that restricts clothing articles such as blouses, makeup or flower in kids’ hair for non-uniform days.
When she explained to the principal and the counselor that her daughter was trans, the situation only got worse.
“Instead of apologizing and correcting the behavior, they asked for medical proof that my daughter is transgender,” she said.
In a statement, the school district said that it “supports and respects the rights of all students and does not discriminate based on the individual’s race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. We encourage students to build communities of inclusion and acceptance at their respective schools in accordance with district policy.”
Mehojah said that the school has apologized to her daughter, but she hasn’t been contacted yet.
“Your formative years [are] when you start forming who you are at your core. You should be able to express that,” said Mehojah.
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