Parents shame girl, 11, for wearing suit at school formal

Her distraught mum said she picked up her daughter in tears over cruel comments from parents supervising the dance.

A furious British mum has blasted “cruel” parents who taunted her 11-year-old daughter for wearing a suit to her primary school formal.

Mischa Parker donned a smart black dinner jacket with matching trousers and bow tie when she met pals for their formal on Friday.

But her school formal was ruined when she overheard some of the chaperoning parents laughing and calling her “suit girl”.

The youngster was so mortified she called mum Tamara Auty, 33, and asked her to pick her up early from Fountain Primary School in Leeds.

“I think it was an attack on her individuality,” Ms Auty said.

“I work in mental health myself and I just think it was really disgusting. When I was 11 I had no idea who I was, but Mischa has always known who she is and what she likes.”

The mum of two said Mischa had been a “bit nervous hoping nobody laughed at her” but she had encouraged her to wear what she wants.

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Mischa Parker, 11, wore a smart black suit for her primary school formal. Picture: SWNS/Mega

“I just think that children should be allowed to express themselves. Why should my daughter be made to feel bad about the way she likes to dress?” Ms Auty said.

“Why try and knock a child down for that?”

A few days before the big night, Ms Auty took Mischa and her brother Thomas, nine, to H&M to pick out an outfit.

“She did end up going into the boys’ section and got a dickie bow as they suited her a bit more,” Ms Auty said.

“She’d known if she was going to any function she’d be wearing a suit. She looked absolutely amazing and stylish.”

Mischa couldn’t wait to celebrate finishing primary school with her friends, straightening her hair, putting on some mascara and painting her nails black – which was a “big deal” as “she’s not a girly girl”.

Her mates showered her with praise when they met before the party, telling her she looked “amazing” and “gorgeous”.

At ease, Mischa told her mum she could go. But a few hours later she received an upsetting text reading, “Can you pick me up now?”

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Mum Tamara Auty has criticised parents for ‘sniggering’ at her daughter’s outfit. Picture: SWNS/Mega

“Mischa (is) normally not very cuddly, doesn’t really show emotion, doesn’t really get upset easily. She’s just quite a strong character,” Ms Auty said.

“When I got to prom I cuddled her and she just burst into tears and said, ‘I need to get out of here.’”

When they got home, Ms Auty said her distraught daughter told her that some of the adults who had stayed called her “suit girl” and ”sniggered”.

“Every time she was walking past these parents she could hear them commenting and laughing,” Ms Auty said.

“She said, ‘Do you think I should change my fashion?’ as she normally wears more boys gendered clothing like hoodies and baggy trousers, but I said, ‘No, you be who you are.’”

Ms Auty wants to raise awareness of what happened to her child to prevent other children being hurt in the future.

“I work with people in crisis, I see people who are affected by bullying and I just think it‘s disgusting, especially with adults who know better,” she said.

“You expect it to be more the kids. If she had gone to prom in a dress she would‘ve been unconformable, why should she not be happy? I think she’s brave for being who she is. Be who you are and celebrate who you are, don’t be torn down for standing out.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission