A 16-year-old transgender teen was asked to go home and change into a boys’ school uniform when she turned up to a GSCE exam in tights, skirt and a blazer.
Ashlyn Parram, who has been officially diagnosed with gender dysphoria, printed off a copy of the law on sex discrimination and took it to headmaster Chris Wall, following a string of clashes with the school.
According to The Sun, the headmaster admitted he could not ban Ashlyn, but teachers made her sit away from other pupils at the back of the sports hall at Giles Academy in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Ashlyn, who used to be called Lewis, told The Sun: “I have never felt so bad about myself.
“It’s sad people can’t be more open-minded. I’ve lost a lot of friends because of everything I’ve been through. I really didn’t need to lose the support of my teachers.”
Ashlyn has lived as a girl at home for 2 years, but had toned down her appearance at school to avoid abuse. She had been spat at and hit in the street.
Ashlyn’s mother told the newspaper: “The way Ashlyn has been treated by the school is just appalling. If Ashlyn had been black or disabled there would be uproar. She’s a vulnerable teenager who needs the support of her teachers, not their opposition. The way they’ve treated her is disgusting.”
Previously, teachers have insisted Ashlyn take part in swimming lessons with boys. They let her wear a surf top and change alone, but made her attend the boys only lessons, while her parents claim a senior teacher told them gender dysphoria “doesn’t exist”. And one female teacher was warned for imitating Ashlyn’s walk in front of pupils.
Ashlyn’s parents have now lodged an official discrimination complaint over the headmaster’s conduct.
