A dad who decided to dress up in a gorilla costume to surprise his seven-year-old daughter was left stunned after the school told him he was “a serious safeguarding concern.” Chris Napthine wore the outfit to greet his daughter, Addie, on her last day of year 2, “to embarrass her” for a “bit of fun.”
However, he was shocked when he later received a “snotty” text message from Hertford Vale CofE Primary School in Staxton, North Yorkshire. The 47-year-old, a self-employed horse dentist and farmer, has since branded the school’s response “ridiculous”. He had previously donned a horse’s head at the school gates to make his little girl laugh.
He 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.
“Then, I got this snotty text off the school, saying it’s a ‘serious safeguarding issue’.”
Mr Napthine shared the following text from the school: “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 and caused concern for adults.”
But Mr Napthine said he sees nothing wrong with his prank – labelling the school “woke” for its stance.
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. 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***. 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.”
The school has been contacted for comment.