Ladies and gentlemen,
The young lad wore a kilt to school, and in the area that the lad attends school, the people were not accustomed to the kilt as a garment. The principal was apparently also not kilt aware.
Making generalizations about school administrators, the residents of Utah, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, etc. is no different than the generalization of the kilt as cross dressing. We all need to take a cultural awareness pill and think before typing.
I have worn a kilt since being a very young lad (early elementary school). My classmates at first gave me the "skirt" comments, not to deride me, but because they had no clue as to what the garment wrapped around my body was called. The closest thing that came to mind is a similar garment worn by the girls. During this time the schools that I attended did have a uniform, with certain days that were set for other attire to be worn. I chose the kilt as it was recognized in the school's rule book as proper for these designated non uniform days. There was one female teacher that was not kilt aware, and felt that I was wearing a skirt. I patiently explained the kilt and where it was mentioned in the school's rule book. She looked it up in the book and acknowledged it. This was in private between the teacher and I. It did not need to go to an administrator, the school department or the school committee. It also was not fodder for the press. This occurred about 20 B.C. (before computers).
While in high school (9-12th grade), I was dating a lass from another school that had a pipe and drum band. Her brother was the bass drummer and had need of a tall boy to carry the drum on his back for parades. I was over six feet tall and skinny as a rail. My girlfriend had talked me into being a drum carrier in her brother's band. The band uniform included a tartan kilt. I was never uncomfortable about being kilted. Most of my classmates knew of my marching with the band. It came as no surprise that when afternoon band competitions were on tap that I would come to school in full band kit. Only the football (soccer) coach thought it was weird. The regional competitions were at my school on a day the football team is out at practice. I had mentioned the coaches animosity of my kilt to some of my band mates. The day we drilled, we took a practice march straight down the football practice field. The football coach heard sixteen pipers playing Scotland the Brave at full volume from a very close range, as we did a split march right around him.
He never had a bad word to say about the kilt after that day as the band I marched with beat the trousers off of the band of the school that I attended in the competition.
The real power of the kilt.
As many of the younger members of this forum have posted of their need to educate others about the kilt, let us realize that this is what the lad was doing at the Rocky Mountain Junior High School.
Slainte