Asante Cotman is a 17-year-old gay kid. He lives in Charles City County, Virginia. Earlier this week, he was suspended from Charles City High School for three days for wearing high heels to school.
The principal allegedly said he had to remove his heels because he was disrupting class. Asante responded that he was not bothering anyone. So Stephanie Crutchfield, the principal, went ballistic and dropped the hammer.
We would be glad if you didn't come back here.
--Alleged words of Principal Stephanie Crutchfield to Asante Cotman
ASANTE: She's talking to me in a manner, like, belittling me. ‘Oh, you shouldn't come back here. Oh, we would be glad if you didn't come back here. Everybody would be happy.'
That comment really got to me. I was almost done.
DIANE WALKER: What do you mean almost done?
ASANTE: I feel like I was about to kill myself. I was almost done.
Asante was told he was being disrespectful of Ms. Crutchfield for refusing to remove his shoes. When she threatened to call police, Asante relented and changed to some slippers he had been given. The slippers did not pass the dress code since they had open backs.
They suspended me for being gay. I don't understand disrupting the class, because nobody was talking about it.
Everybody was doing their work. People have seen me wear heels before. People see me with a pocketbook every day.
--Asante Cotman
Charles City County Public Schools Superintendent Janey Crawley says that she wants Asante to feel comfortable and enjoy his school environment, but warned that the school does ban shoes that can cause students to injure themselves.
Asante said that female students wear heels all the time.
There is video, but it is javascript, so doesn't work at DK. Here is a link.
One of the most common responses of viewers to the television report was that Asante was just trying to show off…to advertise his sexuality.
I'm not advertising. I'm being myself. Advertising would be I'm wearing revealing clothes. I'm not trying to show my butt...and no. No. No. Ma'am, I want to be able to be a regular student. A gay regular student that attends CCHS.
--Asante Cotman
School officials have asked Asante and his mother to stop the story. I guess they are embarassed,
They suspended me for being gay. I'm missing a lot of classes. I'm missing classes that I need to graduate.
--Asante Cotman
Asante is scheduled to return to class on Monday.
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