MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – A high school principal has allegedly smeared a student and his parents as racists after the student posted a picture of himself on social media making a white pride hand gesture. The family says it’s the victim of a giant misunderstanding.

WHOTV.com reports that principal Aiddy Phomvisay has suspended student Blair Van Staalduine from playing in three football games this fall because the boy was seen making a “W” symbol with his fingers in an online picture.

Cathy Van Staalduine, the student’s mother, says the picture was taken during school spirit week, when each grade in the high school was asked to dress in a certain color.

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“The actual school chose the colors that each grade would be wearing,” Cathy Van Staalduine explained to WHOTV.com. “Juniors wore white. So Blair of course being active in the school dressed from head to toe in white. Somebody took a picture of him with his white doing a ‘W’ sign because they were wearing white. Blair says if they were wearing orange they would have done an ‘O.’”

When Cathy Van Staalduine met with Phomvisay to discuss the photo, she says the principal doubled down on his decision by implying that Blair learned the supposed racist behavior from his parents.

“(Phomvisay) basically said this comes from home and it’s taught at home,” Cathy Van Staalduine told the news station. “And when I questioned that — ‘Are you saying that we’re racist and Blair’s racist?’ — he said, ‘By looking at this picture, yes I do.’”

“We were appalled and so was (Blair). Absolutely,” Cathy Van Staalduine added. “Because the furthest thing from Blair is being racist.”

The school district is refusing to comment on the situation, on the grounds that it’s against school policy to publicly discuss the details of a student’s punishment.

The Van Staalduines are demanding that the district reverse the suspension and offer an apology. If not, they plan on taking the matter to court.

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The parents are concerned that this incident will unfairly hurt their son’s chances of winning a college scholarship, or even getting accepted at a good school.

“It breaks my heart, it breaks my heart, I mean, to see my son be so involved in his school and be let down from his school breaks my heart,” Cathy Van Staalduine said.

The family won’t release the picture at the heart of the controversy if and until they file a lawsuit against the district.