Source: QMI Agency
WOODSTOCK, Ont.-- Thirteen-year-old Kelly Millson has spent half of the past week sitting alone in the principal's office at St. Rita's Catholic School.
Not because he was being disruptive but because he chose to wear a bracelet that says "I Love Boobies."
If he wears his bracelets Friday, he'll likely have to miss out on a bowling trip with his classmates.
"I guess I'll play it by ear," he said at his home Thursday.
With the consent of his parents, Jackie Millson and Tim Smith, he bought the $3 bracelets at a local convenience store on Dec. 14.
"I first saw a girl wearing them and I thought they were really cool and they support people with breast cancer," he said. "I never thought any of this would happen."
When he wore them to school on Dec. 15, his teacher immediately took them away.
His parents went to the school to retrieve the bracelets and told the teacher their son was allowed to wear them - unless it was against London District Catholic School Board policy. The school's principal, Suzanne Terpstra, told them Kelly could be suspended if he continued to wear the bracelets.
"We're not having a fight with the school; we have agreed to disagree," his mom said. "It's not a yelling match back and forth. But I still think he should be allowed to wear them, and we support his decision to do that."
The school board has gone on record as saying its policy is to allow the principal at each school to decide what is appropriate in terms of dress code.
"I really just wanted to support (people with) breast cancer and help get people aware of it," Millson said.
Jackie Millson said if the school's position on the bracelets don't change, they would consider a legal challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"He has the freedom to express himself, and if he wants to support this 24/7, I think he has the right to," she said.
The bracelets are part of a national campaign run by the Keep a Breast Foundation, meant to encourage young people to pay attention to their breast health. T-shirts and bracelets with the slogan "I Love Boobies" act as an awareness-raising tool, allowing young people to engage and start talking about a subject that is scary and taboo by making it positive and upbeat, the non-profit organization's website said.
"I'm hoping that the schools will recognize these bracelets are positive and just about awareness. They shouldn't be looking at this as a negative thing," Millson said.
He plans to continue wearing the bracelets to school when he returns in the New Year.
