A prestigious Catholic high school booted a Bronx senior for being gay, the girl claims in a lawsuit.
Amanda Acevedo, 17, says in court papers that a homophobic administrator at Preston HS in Throggs Neck took exception to her bringing a girl as a date to a school dance and embarked on a two-year campaign of discrimination that culminated in her expulsion in September.
“Such a disgraceful act is proof positive of the fact that they got rid of my daughter because of her sexual orientation,” Acevedo’s dad, John, charges in the suit, filed against the private all-girls school in Bronx Supreme Court last month.
“No other reason makes sense. Preston High gains nothing by expelling a traumatized gay child — except a sick sense of pleasure at getting rid of a gay child.”
Dean Joseph De Bona began targeting Amanda when she came to her sophomore-year dance with a girl on her arm, the suit says.
Although she had permission to bring the date, Amanda says, De Bona pulled them aside at the end of the event, separated them and grilled Amanda, asking how they met, where the girl went to school, whether the two were “more than just friends” and warning against “any funny business.”
John Acevedo says the inquiries were inappropriate.
“They’re alone in the room talking about her sexuality? Saying, ‘Let’s keep this between us because we don’t want any funny business’? There’s nothing funny about it,” the dad told The Post.
De Bona’s grilling of Amanda “deserves a sock in the face,” Acevedo says.
This year, Amanda, as a senior, got into a fight with a girl in the locker room on Sept. 17, and De Bona seized the opportunity to get rid of her, the suit says.
“What you think is happening is happening,” he told Amanda, referring to expulsion, according to court papers.
The Acevedo family says De Bona lied about the fight — Amanda’s first at the school — and cast her as the instigator.
Preston, a school of nearly 600 students that costs more than $9,000 a year to attend, kicked both girls out before even investigating or following procedures for expulsion, court papers say.
The other girl remains suspended, the Acevedos say.
“[Amanda] was targeted. There was prejudice against her,” her dad said.
More than 200 of her classmates signed a petition for her return, and City Councilman James Vacca and state Sen. Jeff Klein wrote letters of on her behalf.
Amanda was out of school for nearly three weeks before a judge issued a temporary order on Oct. 10 allowing her to return — for now.
Preston is fighting to expel Amanda for good, and the case is due back in court Nov. 12.
“It just sucks because the punishment does not fit the crime,” Amanda said. “I wish it never happened. I don’t want to go through this at all.”
The school did not return a request for comment.