13-year-old Grendon Bailie (not pictured) was dismissed earlier today from Tacoma’s Truman Middle School after he decided to wear a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey on what the school designated a Seattle Seahawks spirit day. The school carved out an exception from its usually-strict dress code for its students to wear Seahawks colors, and apparently someone forgot to tell this kid that those do not include black or gold.
Now the seventh-grader says he feels it was unfair for the school to single him out for punishment, simply because he and his family are Steelers fans and not Seahawks fans.
“Not everyone is a Seahawks fan — and if they got to wear their team stuff then I should, too,” Grendon said.
But the school district says Grendon and all other students were warned on Thursday that anyone who didn’t want to wear Seahawks colors should wear their normal school uniform, which is limited to certain styles and colors of clothing.
I can’t find fault with the kid wanted to stand up and wear his own gear in the face of all of that Seahawks fandom, even if it is really, really tacky. Nor do I blame the school for punishing him. The only ones at fault here are the kid’s parents. Seriously, what the hell kind of name is “Grendon?” Does he turn into a lizard if you feed him after midnight? I can’t wait to visit this kid in ten years when he’s living in a sewer and honing his ninjitsu. Actually, yes I can.
