SALE, U.K. – Maybe it was the gray suit. More likely, it was the zip ties and blindfold.

Either way, 11-year-old Liam Scholes’ costume for World Book Day was too much for his school administrators and they sidelined him.

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The boy showed up to Sale High School in England dressed as Christian Grey, the character from the racy novel-turned-movie “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Scholes tells the Manchester Evening News it was “just to have a bit of fun.”

“We thought it was funny. We were walking home from school and he had the idea of going as Christian Grey,” the boy’s mother says.

But the school didn’t think it was too funny. After the student arrived, Nicola Scholes received a call “saying the costume was inappropriate and he would not be allowed to participate in themed events and a class photograph.”

She found it odd, given others, including adults were dressed as serial killers and others had guns. She tweeted a photo of her child’s costume:

offensive costume.Excluded from photos, told to change yet teacher dressed as a serial killer and others with guns? pic.twitter.com/8OTZ9gPvEh

— nicola scholes (@clangar) March 5, 2015

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“At first we laughed it off but the we discussed it with a few friends and saw the funny side and decided it was quite a good costume idea.

“He went in a suit and shoes and with an eye mask and cable ties. The cable ties were tiny and not enough to do anything with them. We didn’t think there would be a problem,” the mother says.

“I got a phone call home from the school saying the outfit was inappropriate and that he had been excluded from taking part or being in any of the photographs.

“Me and the teacher agreed to disagree and it’s not being taken any further but I was disappointed for Liam that he’d been stopped from taking part and that he’s had a dressing down,” according to the mother.

“One of the teachers went dressed as Dexter and I don’t see why sex is seen as more offensive than murder.

“If it was a primary school I could understand but it’s a secondary school and the book and the film have been everywhere – it’s one of the most famous books in recent years and it’s not like the pupils will be unaware of it.”

Students were to dress as famous literary characters during World Book Day.

The school refused to discuss the incident.