(Photo provided to the Citizen-Times of Asheville, NC)
Grayson Bruce, 9, is a student at Candler Elementary School in Asheville, North Carolina. In defiance of gender stereotypes, he likes the cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. He owns a backpack featuring Rainbow Dash, a character from that show.
Bullies in his school used this as an excuse to beat him up and harass him. The school principal responded by telling Grayson not to bring his My Little Pony backpack to school.
His mother, Noreen Bruce, was outraged. She pulled Bruce out of the school and went to the news media, which picked up and spread the story. It appeared in many outlets including Good Morning America (warning: auto-sound) and Glenn Beck’s The Blaze. Also, Grayson’s fellow bronies took to the internet to express their anger.
Under public pressure, the superintendent of Buncombe County Schools has capitulated, albeit in a mealy mouthed fashion:
Buncombe County Schools administrators released a joint statement Thursday, saying they would work with Bruce to make "a safety transition plan and an allowance for Grayson to bring the bookbag to school."
"We have appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Bruce family and discuss the issues. We sincerely regret that the issue of being told to leave the bookbag at home was perceived as blaming Grayson. While that was not the intent, the perception became reality. We support Grayson bringing the bookbag to school." the statement said.
We’ll see if the school district actually follows through.
-via Equestria Daily