A father who wore a gorilla costume for his daughter on her last day of term was left stunned to be told by her ‘woke‘ school his actions were ‘a serious safeguarding concern’.
Chris Napthine donned the ape outfit to meet his daughter, Addie, on Friday July 18, but was shocked when he later received a ‘snotty’ text message.
The 47-year-old went to Hertford Vale C Of E Primary School in the village of Staxton, North Yorkshire, has since branded the school’s response ‘ridiculous’.
It was seven-year-old Addie’s last day of Year 2 when Mr Napthine decided to don the gorilla suit as a bit of fun.
The dad-of-two, a self-employed horse dentist and farmer, said: ‘It’s a little village school and I live just opposite it.
‘I went there, my son went there and now my little girl does.
‘I was just trying to embarrass her. She’s always saying, ‘Dad, please don’t embarrass me’.
‘The other day I put a horse’s head on, so on the last day of school I put on a gorilla outfit.
Chris Napthine in the ape outfit with his daughter Addie outside Hertford Vale C Of E Primary School
Mr Napthine donned the ape outfit to meet his daughter, Addie, on her last day of term
Mr Napthine said he sees nothing wrong with his prank – labelling the school ‘woke’ for its stance
‘Then, I got this snotty text off the school, saying it’s a ‘serious safeguarding issue’.’
The text, shared by Mr Napthine, read: ‘Please do not come into school in a costume or mask.
‘This is a serious safeguarding issue. It has also upset some of the children & caused concern for adults.’
But Mr Napthine said he sees nothing wrong with his prank – labelling the school ‘woke’ for its stance.
However the school argued that staff need to be aware of who is on premises at all times and a costume would not allow them to be sure who was walking in.
He added: ‘How is that a safeguarding issue? Where is it going to end? Are the kids not going to be allowed to dress up?
‘I really didn’t like the way they worded it.
‘I was just trying to have a bit of a laugh, but the school have taken it dead serious.
‘I messaged them back, but they didn’t reply.
He said he decided to put the ape outfit on ‘as a bit of fun’ to try to embarrass his daughter
He was told by the school that dressing up in a costume was a serious safeguarding issue
He said he had previously picked up his daughter while wearing a horse mask
‘I just thought it was ridiculous. Safeguarding is about the safety of the kids.
‘A dad in a gorilla outfit is not a safeguarding issue – let alone a ‘serious’ one.
‘It’s taking the p**s. I’ve had lots of messages of support, saying: ‘What on Earth is this country coming to? A kid can identify as a cat but a dad can’t dress up as a gorilla’.
‘That’s what dads do: embarrass their daughters. I’m always playing jokes and messing about.
‘It’s just a bit woke.’
Paul Bradbury, chairman of the board of governors at the school, told The Telegraph: ‘Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is not only our commitment but is a statutory responsibility for all schools. A key part of this is knowing who is on the school premises at all times.
‘Parents and carers place their trust in us to safeguard their children, and it is essential that we uphold that trust by ensuring all visitors are clearly identifiable and behave in a way that supports a calm and safe learning environment. We are sure people will agree that’s not possible when someone is wearing a full gorilla suit.
‘That’s why we have asked the parent involved not to do this again and been clear that while some children may have been entertained, some were frightened, and our staff could not identify an adult on site looking through windows.
‘We remain committed to creating a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for all pupils, staff, and visitors.’
