School Bans Bullied Boy From Wearing 'My Little Pony' Backpack

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By Brian Koerber2014-03-18 16:45:32 UTC

When 9-year-old Grayson Bruce told his mom that he was being bullied at his school for wearing a My Little Pony backpack, she did what most parents would: informed the school of the abuse.

Instead of addressing the bullies, though, the North Carolina school told Noreen Bruce that her son was no longer allowed to bring his bag to school. Noreen was outraged, as she felt the popular show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic sends a good message.

See also: Bronies: The Colorful Side of Millennial Escapism

"It's promoting friendship," she told WLOS-TV in Nashville. "There's no bad words, there's no violence. It's hard to find that, even in cartoons now."

During the interview, Grayson revealed details about the bullying. “They’re taking it a little too far … punching me, pushing me down, calling me horrible names, stuff that really shouldn't happen.”

Last month, an 11-year-old boy in North Carolina attempted suicide after he was bullied for being a fan of the show.

My Little Pony has a large adult male fan base, dubbed "Bronies." The group has an active online community and holds annual conventions for fans to meet in real life. The group is also the subject of the 2012 documentary Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony.

After learning the school's position, the Bruce family created a support page for Grayson on Facebook, using the hashtag #SupportForGrayson to spread awareness online.

The family also issued a Change.org petition to allow Grayson to wear his backpack, and put a crack down on bullying. The petition has reached over 4,500 signatures so far.

There has been an outpouring of support from fans since the story broke on March 10, as well as from one of the show's creators, Lauren Faust.

The school's stance is attracting the attention of other big names in the media, like Glenn Beck. The conservative radio host said that Grayson has "the balls to be different," and encouraged the boy to remain that way.

Grayson's school declined an interview with WLOS regarding the issue, but released the following statement: “An initial step was taken to immediately address a situation that had created a disruption in the classroom. Buncombe County Schools takes bullying very seriously, and we will continue to take steps to resolve this issue.”

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Topics: brony, bullying, Conversations, My Little Pony, Videos, Watercooler