I am certain that is the case. I just looked up what a Vera Bradley purse is. Its a cloth purse, mostly bright multi-colored, floral or paisley.
The school could make the same claim that many schools make about make-up or attire, they say that it is a distraction, but then they would have to apply the same rule to girls. Better to ignore the behavior and let the kid make a fool of himself, while warning other students not to make fun of him.
When someone is making a fool of themselves, it often the right thing to do to get out of the way and let the person get on with it.
That kinda makes fools proliferate.