PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) Bracelets that aim to raise breast cancer awareness have sparked controversy at a school in Provo.
This week a 12 year old student got his “I ‘heart’ boobies” bracelet confiscated by staff at West Ridge Elementary.
The student's mom took her frustrations to Facebook writing “it's not offensive” and is meant to support breast cancer research. Part of the money raised from the $4 bands goes toward breast cancer awareness education.
The mom writes she “supports my kid”. But not all parents support the wording on the bands.
“They probably could have changed the word to breast other than boobies,” Delaina Bonnett.
Kent Forde agrees. “There's probably better ways to support breast cancer, perhaps maybe a bracelet that says ‘I support breast cancer research’, that might be one way to do it.”
School districts across the country from Florida to California have banned the bracelets-- arguing they disrupt learning. In Indiana, 16-year old Lexi Mitchell wore her's everyday until her district banned them.
“I don't understand it,” said Mitchell. “Everybody knows what it's for, and as long as you know what it's for it shouldn't be a big deal."
But just last year, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled the bracelets are not lewd or vulgar and school districts can't ban them.
ABC 4 asked the Provo School District for comment, but our phone calls were not returned.
