Southeast : Condom Outfit Gets Student Suspended

Wearing a condom might be fine in some situations, but it’s probably not a good thing to do while walking around a high school campus.

Jason Cordoza learned that the hard way.

The 16-year-old Downey High School student went to school Tuesday dressed as a condom for Halloween, and while the nylon-mesh outfit drew laughs from fellow students, it earned Cordoza a two-day suspension from administrators.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” said Cordoza, who added that he was trying to promote safe sex by wearing the costume. “I am politically correct. I’m smart about politics. I like politics.”

School Principal Allen Layne said he asked Cordoza to take off the outfit Tuesday morning because he believed it would offend some people on campus. Cordoza agreed, but then donned the giant condom again soon after leaving the administration office.

“He said he had to make a political statement,” Layne said. “It became a defiance issue at that point.”

Cordoza, who bought the condom outfit for $32 at a Cerritos costume store, said he was angry about the decision. “I learned about condoms through this school,” he said. “I really believe I am right.”

School administrators said Cordoza could promote condom use away from the campus.

Said Layne, “I said to [Cordoza], if you want to make a political statement, you can distribute condoms after school past the gate. I don’t have a problem with that.”