A 12-year-old student in Warwickshire, England, was removed from class during a school culture event after arriving in a dress featuring the Union Flag and presenting a project about British history and tradition.
Courtney Wright dressed for the occasion on Friday and wrote a piece about her heritage to take part in Culture Celebration Day at Bilton School, which she says included politeness and fairness. Her father, Stuart Wright, was called to pick her up from school after she was reportedly told she could not participate while wearing the dress.
“Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong,” her father said, according to Warwickshire World. “She was told she wasn’t allowed in school with the dress on because she gets to celebrate her culture every day.”
A form shared with parents ahead of the event stated that the day was “designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages.”
Stuart said the school's decision contradicted the purpose of the event. “Courtney didn’t do anything to be political,” he said. “She chose the dress and wrote the piece off her own back. It’s the school who have made it political and it went against everything the event was being held for.”
The school later contacted the Wright family over the weekend to apologize for the incident.
A spokesperson for Stowe Valley Trust, which oversees Bilton School, said: “At Bilton School, we are proud of the diversity of our students and the rich heritage they bring to our community. We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included.
“On Friday 11th July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community. We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies.”
The school said it has since spoken directly with the Wright family and is reviewing its policies.
