A dad of two has taken both his daughters out of school over a row about a leopard print coat.
Fearful that his daughter Simone would not be seen by motorists walking from school in a regulation black or grey coat, Simon Denulder bought the 12-year-old a leopard print one instead – and the row it has caused has resulted in him pulling BOTH his girls out of school.
Ash Green School in Coventry banned Simone from wearing the animal print outerwear, and requested that she complied with the uniform regulations.
Her furious 35-year-old dad told the Mail that he bought the coat to keep Simone safe on dark nights.
"My daughter has got a leopard print coat that keeps her dry and warm" he said. "The school want all the pupils to have a dark coloured coat, but when children are walking home from school in the dark, it would be better for them to wear more visible clothing."
He insisted Simone's coat was not 'brightly coloured' but just made her 'easier for drivers to spot in the evenings'.
"It's just the same as any other coat - it's just that it's leopard print," he said, adding that it was
'not offensive.'
The school's head teacher Andrew Clay said uniform rules are an important aspect of school life, and that the code was agreed by the Governing Body.
"Mr Denulder was informed recently that a coat worn to school was inappropriate. This is because it did not conform to the school dress code," he said. "After a meeting arranged to hear his concerns and to make the school's position clear Mr Denulder removed both of his children from the school of his own volition.
"His children have not been excluded from school or informally asked to stay away. Neither would be an appropriate response."
After talks with staff, Mr Denulder has now agreed to return older daughter Kelsey, 15, to school ahead of her GCSEs, but not until after half term.