A 17-year-old boy at a Charles City High School in Charles City County, VA has been suspended for refusing to take off a pair of high heels he wore to school, NBC12 reports.

Asante Cotman, who says he is the only openly gay student at school, was ordered take off the shoes because his principal said he was “disrupting the school.”

“I wore this jacket right here and a white shirt and my scarf, a pair of cargo pants and heels,” he said.

The junior said his principal said she’d be happy if he didn’t return to the school. Cotman said after hearing this, he was “done.”

“I felt like I wanted to kill myself,” he said.



Principal Stephanie Crutchfield wouldn’t comment on the situation. Superintendant Dr. Janet Crawley said she wants Cotman to be “comfortable.”

“We want him to enjoy his school environment and we’re going to look out for his rights just like we look out for the rights of any child here.”

Crawley said she’s not sure if the heels are violating the handbook, but “we do have rules about shoes you wear that’s going to cause you to injure yourself. ”

The student feels he’s being mistreated due to his sexuality.

“They suspended me for being gay,” he said.

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