Tuxedo-Clad Girl Allegedly Thrown Out of Prom for Not Wearing Dress
"I think I’m dressed pretty modestly," Aniya Wolf said in defense of her attire.
— -- A Pennsylvania high school senior says she was thrown out of her Catholic school's prom for wearing a tuxedo.
Aniya Wolf told ABC's Harrisburg affiliate WHTM that a Bishop McDevitt High School official took her by the arm and told her she was going to call police after she saw Wolf's attire, so Wolf left the Friday night event.
“I think my experience shouldn’t be any different than anyone else’s because of something I was born with," Wolf said after leaving the event in a three-piece suit and a bow tie. Wolf is a lesbian who doesn't like to wear "girly" clothes, WHTM reported. “I was always more masculine," she said.
The tuxedo-clad student defended her attire, calling it modest, unlike "a lot of girls' dresses," she said. "They do show a lot of skin. I think I’m dressed pretty modestly.”
The school provided ABC News with a statement today that says it expected girls to wear dresses to the event. “The dress code for the prom specified girls must wear formal dresses,” the statement reads. “It also stated that students who failed to follow the dress code would not be admitted.”
The statement continues: "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," the statement adds.
Wolf's mother, Carolyn Wolf, said that her daughter did nothing wrong and that a different clothing choice would have been difficult to pull off at "the last minute".
“I told them that I had read the dress code that was given to the students and I didn’t think that it precluded her from wearing a suit," Carolyn told WHTM. "I said that this was very unfair, particularly at the last minute. We had gone out and bought a new suit."
Aniya Wolf said she was made to feel like a "mistake" by school officials
"I think my daughter is beautiful in a suit," Carolyn said.