4yr old boy kicked out of school for hair

Caitlin - posted on 01/15/2010

That is just plain stupid

Brenda - posted on 01/15/2010

why does everyone think its ok to tell a mom or dad what to do with their child, what other rights are going to be taken away form mom and dads?they already tell us how to dress them and correct them ,now this ,its crazy to me.

Kim - posted on 01/15/2010

Amen to Sharon Grey!!!! As for Kathryn Gonzalez, it's a shame that as a teacher you do not see that it is not about the hair. It is about conforming to the rules of the school! I'm sure there are a lot of rules at your school you wouldn't even consider bending on. The point being the rules are the rules. I agree it is important to make sure the kids are excelling, but the rules are there to help aide in their success. I appreciate your service in the field of teaching!!! I can't imagine doing that job. I do home day care and it is hard enough.

ChrisTina - posted on 01/15/2010

That is so ridiculous!!! My four year old has a mohawk, and everyone thinks it is adorable!! Your hairstyle is your choice, not anyone else's, and it does not affect the behavior of a child!!!!

Ashley - posted on 01/15/2010

this isnt about the boy...it's about the PARENTS!....the mother is trying to prove a point and i personally think she needs to grow up. it's really not setting a good example for her child. Ginni you said it perfect.......he doesnt know how he wants his hair and it is a bigger issue with the parents. he looks rediculous with his hair in a pony tail. he's a little boy not a little girl for cying out loud

Ginni - posted on 01/15/2010

I dont' think the hair is the issue here. It is the rules of the school. If you do not want to cut your childs hair then do not sign them up at a school that has those rules. Or fight the rules, win, then let your childs hair grow. He is 4 for crying out loud, he doesn't know how he wants his hair! I think it is a bigger issue with the parents than the child.

Ashley=) - posted on 01/15/2010

In schools were i live some boys wear there hair like this.The kids just cant colour there hair thats all.The all wear uniforms and thats it.The education is whats key.That's what is forced on parents over here is sending there children to school everyday.What ever length their hair is.

GOSH some people just pick apart silly things like this story.Atleast his parents were sending him to school...I do agree you have to follow the rules. So if its not what you like then by all means send him to a school were the length of the kids hair is not a big deal:)

Sharon - posted on 01/15/2010

School is NOT where you go to express your individuality. good god. Its where you go to LEARN.

Geeze - from this site... I can tell which of you were more concerned with being individuals and breaking rules than you were about getting an education.

Sharon - posted on 01/15/2010

Kelly ... WAKE UP!!! People not related to you, people who shouldn't a single thing to you, can and WILL tell you how to act & dress.

There is a guy at my work covered in bandaids, (lmao) to cover his plugs, tats, etc. He has to remove his tongue piercing, brow peircings, etc... oh and his long hair? Is in a pony tail, hahaha This job is just to pay the bills until he becomes a famous DJ.

he is really smart, honestly he is and I like him. he's a decent guy with good ethics, and he knows the reality. Working for a corporation means kowtowing to their rules.

You wanna be "different" or "unique" more power to you, but .. lmao looking around the cheap grocery store in my town, you all aren't all that "different" or "unique" as you think you are.

My kids go to school with thier hair neatly brushed and styled or plaited. My oldest son has longish hair - no where near long enough to tie into a pony tail. He knows the rules... if he wants to grow it out longer - he'll have to follow the school rules.

This part of Arizona is full of old hippies. They head off to their blue collar jobs with their hair tied in ponytails and PLAITED. I shit you not. I see them after work buying a case of beer and formula for babies in the express lane.

yeah yeah, I'm kind of mocking them, but they are good people. most of them. But again.... they are following rules. They want jobs, they gotta follow the rules.

So please. do me a favor and stfu.

Ashley=) - posted on 01/15/2010

What makes me mad is people who feel all children are the same and need to look and act the same.



Its important to be unique.To have your own individuality.To be able to express yourself in how you feel comfortable.BUT....



Its hair come on is it that important?.I would think his education is whats important.With him being kicked out how is that benefiting whats most important to him.:)

Cinys - posted on 01/15/2010

I agree. School is for learning, not for a fashion show. Growing up, my mother brushed and braided my hair each and every single day.

Parents should do their homework. If they do not agree with school policies, they should find a school with policies they do agree with.

Hair and clothes 'can' be a distraction in certain circumstances, (to many to write up).

That little boy now, looks like a little girl. I feel very sorry for him, not the parents. Because of their mistake, we will see how well he blends in now with a pony tail and bobby pins. Give me a break.

Makes me mad.

Kelly - posted on 01/14/2010

those of you who think they have the right to do this is stupid and i cant belive how bad this is getting. No one can tell you how to live your life and what to do with your hair if that boy wants ti long then its his right and its discrimation for anyone or any school to tell him otherwise.
Inseatd of blaming the parents for knowig the school rules or looking into them and all that crap why dont you look at the bigger picture - its discrimation at its worse and not fair on a 4yr old boy who all he wants to do is go and play with his friends.

I feel sorry for the boy as he has no idea what hes doing wrong to get into trouble... itsnot liek ist shaven with swear wrods written on his head.

Frances - posted on 01/14/2010

whatever the outcome is, that boy will be treated different and now a day it is hard to go to school and make friends without being made fun of. hope he has a good school year.

Charlene - posted on 01/14/2010

As stupid as you may think the rule is, the parents knew before hand that it was in the dress code. If they registered their son for that school, knowing full well that it was part of the dress code to either have the hair above the ears or pulled back, then they have no one to blame but themselves. This poor little kid is being drug into the middle of all this because his parents have a personal agenda.

If they don't like the dress code at that school then they have to make the decision to either suck it up or find a school with a dress code that fits their personality.

Brianna - posted on 01/14/2010

i agree with her

Brianna - posted on 01/14/2010

yes hair is hair said ponytails was fine in the picks they had so its fine 90% of students i know have the same cut so who cares that his hair is thicker hello what next are girls going to be kicked because they like a woman i think we have to become more femilier with are laws people

Sharon - posted on 01/14/2010

Quoting Sharon:



Quoting Danielle:




Quoting Sharon:

His parents knew the rules.

They don't like it, they shouldn't ask ##### students to accept their normalcy, they should find a school that is their version of normal.

Schools are coming around to making conformity rules to get rid of kids fighting. To prevent kids from standing out, to prevent shit like columbine.

if all kids are dressed alike, and basically look alike, alot of those silly rivalries will be null.

The playing ground will never be perfectly level. But its a step in the right direction.

I'm all about individuality and non conformity. Ask anyone here. I refuse to fit anyones mold. But when I go to work, I wear the specified clothes, fix my hair, and dress clean & neat. & face it, that kid is going to wear a uniform of some sort, he'd better get used to the idea of conforming.

So get over it. Frankly I'm looking forward to schools getting rid of belly revealing shirts for 5 yr olds or 15 yr olds. And buttcracks. Sloppy looks.

The child has an option to keep his hair long, his parents just want to buck the system.

I brush and plait my daughters hair every day - they can do the same.

OH, and a child with neon pink hair would be a distraction.

School isn't a fashion show, its for LEARNING. For getting an education so you know that when you sign your child up for a school and get the pamphlet that specifies "hair no longer than... for boys..." you'll understand it and not snivel about it.






Ok, to the bolded- this is a PUBLIC school if I'm not mistaken and a parent should not have to foot the bill to put their child in another school because of assinine public school rules. I'm sorry but I can't afford that and she probably can't either. I looked into sending my son to another public school (because I disagree 100% with uniforms) and it would have cost me over $2000 A YEAR just to send him to a different public school o.O I'm so not even kidding. You have to pay tuition costs if you're out of district. So yeah, please don't be ignorant like that and assume that that was even an option!











If they don't like the schools' rules then they should foot the bill and find an alternative. Between scholarships, alternative schools, church schools, and charter schools - that child has options.






Dresscodes like that MOST CERTAINLY do NOT stop bullying. When the clothes, shoes, material things are gone then kids will (and do) make fun of each other for physical features, income, speech, etc. Kids are mean and are going to bully each other NO MATTER WHAT.











LOL when were you last in a school that utilised uniforms? Of course it doesn't STOP all bullying but it does reduce it. Children pick on one another no matter what because they have lousy parents who don't teach them to be better. I attended a church school for a while and I LOVED the freedom of not figuring out what to wear every day.





As far as wearing appropriate clothing to work- you get paid to work there. These children HAVE to go to school- as far as they're concerned (b/c they don't usually value the education until they're MUCH older), they are getting nothing out of it and are being forced to go- please don't compare the two because they're not the same by any means. You are earning an income so yes, you should obide by your employers rules, these kids have a mandatory obligation to receive some sort of schooling so for the most part they HAVE to go to school- which means they should be at least allowed the freedom of self expression.





Looking at that childs' parents, they seem to appreciate the value of a FREE education, just drama and what ever attention they can garner for themselves. I'm not surprised they put his hair above his education. Of course children don't appreciate the education in and of itself. But you would think his adult parents would.











Furthermore, I disagree 100% that unnatural hair coloring is even a distraction. It is for all of maybe 5 minutes and then kids move on- trust me...my high school had no such ruling on unnatural hair coloring and none of us were distracted by the rainbow of colors we saw every day. That's neither here nor there- if this boy is not allowed to have long hair because it's a distraction- absolutely no girl in that school should be allowed to have long hair either. It's flat out sexist as someone else mentioned. If it's distracting on a boy, it's just as distracting on a girl.











Again - when is the last time you walked into an elementary school and saw blue and pink spiked hair and the attention swirl around that child? The notes swirling the classroom about where did the get the extensions, how much did it cost, how did they talk their parents into it? And if it wasn't a clip in, braid in extension, then how did they do it, etc.....






I think that little boy is adorable and if he wants his hair long and isn't misbehaving in school then they should just leave him alone.



I never said that child wasn't cute but his parents are drama addicts and its disgusting. Get over it, find a different school or homeschool him. An even better option, then he can run around au naturale with his long hair etc and not have any damn rules. That is apparently their goal.










Ok first off, I'm only 23 so it wasn't long that I was in the school system and we had dresscodes but they weren't completely assinine. They were there to ensure that girls didn't come in with microskirts or daisy dukes that were showing off their goods and stuff like that. Secondly, I have a 2nd grader so I'm in a public elementary school quite often.



Please explain to me why it is that someone who doesn't agree with the public schools rules (that are, imo, an attempt to shape every individual into Lemmings. Everybody isn't the same so we shouldn't all be forced to look the same.) should "foot the bill" and take their child to another school. If I had done so, I'd not be able to pay my bills or buy my children food. I tried to homeschool him but he refused to pay attention to me and is getting straight A's in public school so in the end it wasn't worth it to make his education suffer but his personality and self esteem are suffering. I don't have another option- he HAS to go to his public school and I certainly do not agree with their STUPID rules. My child looks like a miniature adult instead of a child and quite frankly, I find that to be absolutely disgusting.



Even with his stupid dresscode, my son has come home MORE THAN ONCE crying because someone slapped him, told him to shut up, called him annoying (he can be a bit hyper), or made fun of him somehow. So basically he's had his freedom of expression taken away AND he's dealing with bullying so I fail to see how the stupid dresscodes are helping anyone when he's still getting just as bullied as the kids I went to elementary school did without dresscodes/uniforms.



Also, my sons school allows the kids to have unusual hairstyles (mostly because a judge here even ruled that there is no way that's disruptive). There's at least one kid in the 2nd grade with a mohawk and nobody even really pays attention to the fact that his hair is different so again- no I don't think hair can be a distraction. Another thing- if parents teach their children to accept everyone's differences, then more kids would be like my son and not even react in the slightest bit to a kid with a different hair style. It's parents who agree with the dresscodes (in my experience) who teach their children (whether intentional or not) that everyone should look the same. Thus when these kids see someone different, they question everything and stare.



Idk about his parents because I obviously don't know them (alas neither do you yet you judge them...) but I know I personally avoid confrontations if at all possible (social anxiety and all that). I would at least be contacting the school board if my son was descriminated against and this is descrimination. Girls can have long hair but boys can't. It's sexism. Period. Our school board is terrible so I know that if it were my son (who does have long shaggy hair btw), I'd be getting a lawyer. I probably wouldn't contact the press but I would probably be sueing for sexual descrimination.

Heidi - posted on 01/14/2010

Iysha, no kidding. I think half of the boys in my son's school would be expelled if they adhered to that policy.

Tiffany - posted on 01/14/2010

Take the boy to another school, that will accept his hair the way it is. This is NO difference then these other schools having school uniforms... GET OVER IT! I think this woman is just looking for a way to sue the school.. it's all for MONEY!

Kristen - posted on 01/14/2010

Think about the boys who like to emulate the male gender in sports - the good role models (not the ones always getting into trouble) the ones who choose to have their hair braided - with extensions - whatever. Why are we trying to make a child conform to something that TRULY is not an issue - suspensions should be for children who are insubordinate - unruly and obstreperous. This child has stated that he wants his long hair - so what is the big deal. Unique individuals who are able to have the confidence to stand alone are the leaders of tomorrow - not the followers. The children who are not afraid to be "different" and may take some ridicule from peers are the ones who have self confidence. As far as head lice goes - no child is exempt from this - and people with short hair can get this just as people with long hair. Lice adhere and like clean hair - and warmth - so it is actually better not to have hair tied up in a pony tail - as this will keep more heat in. African American children are less likely to get this due to the product used and the shape of the hair follicle. This "issue" is really a "non-issue" if you look at the BIG picture and think about some things that go on in schools - hitting teachers, cursing at teachers, drinking and smoking and doing illegal drugs at school. We need to learn to let the small things go and focus on the issues that matter.

Jodi - posted on 01/14/2010

Hmmm.....how old are your kids? Are they school age?



Just a thought. Boy with long hair. DO you think he will be amenable to a ponytail? Or tied up in a braid or plait?



HEAD LICE!!!!!



Yep, I keep my daughter's hair to a certain length and tied up, a preventative (one of them anyway) for headlice. Girls are actually more prone to headlice than boys,.......generally. But I'm betting in cases like this, boys are just as prone.



So for those of you who argue "well what about the length of girls hair" I understand totally. Why should boys not be allowed to grow hair as long as the girls hair. Will your son let you plait, braid, ponytail his hair? Just curious........if not, your argument doesn't wash with me. I accept that we shouldn't discriminate between boys and girls, but having had sons, I do not for a moment believe my sons would have let me tie their hair in a ponytail.......at school....in public......

Kristen - posted on 01/14/2010

I look at this as gender discrimination - do they set limits on the length of a females hair? People are ridiculing the parents for not following the rules - but the rules are wrong - and the ACLU will certainly be involved in this at some point. This is nothing short of dictatorship - and I thought we had gotten away with that!

Chelayne - posted on 01/13/2010

That has got to be one of the stupidest things i have ever seen! What the hell is the difference between a boy with long hair and a girl?!

JL - posted on 01/13/2010

The parents should havebeen given a book at the beginning of the school year that laid out all the rules and the dress code. So they should have known the rules and if they did not agree with them then they should have fought against them through the proper channels by going to school boards meetings and PTA meetings and putting up a suggestion to change the rules. That should have been dealt with before it even got to the point of suspension.

Personally I think the rule is stupid.I have a 2 year old with a shaggy over grown haircut that goes over his ears. His hair is not as long as this kids but it is longer than specified by the rule that school has instituted. I don't think making kids look alike..hair style and uniforms prevents bullying but I do think there should be common sense dress codes. Common sense ones like no sagging of pants, tank tops, mini skirts, short shorts, belly shirts, low cut shirts, clothing related to gangs, clothing with inappropraite words and pictures...but hair styles that are long on boys...stupid rule unless you are attending a military school.

My hubby is in the military and he is the one who does not want me to get our sons hair cut short. He like the idea of him looking like a soldier he says.

Jennifer - posted on 01/13/2010

I can't believe that a school can do this.

Danielle - posted on 01/13/2010

Quoting Sharon:

Quoting Danielle:

Quoting Sharon:

His parents knew the rules.

They don't like it, they shouldn't ask ##### students to accept their normalcy, they should find a school that is their version of normal.

Schools are coming around to making conformity rules to get rid of kids fighting. To prevent kids from standing out, to prevent shit like columbine.

if all kids are dressed alike, and basically look alike, alot of those silly rivalries will be null.

The playing ground will never be perfectly level. But its a step in the right direction.

I'm all about individuality and non conformity. Ask anyone here. I refuse to fit anyones mold. But when I go to work, I wear the specified clothes, fix my hair, and dress clean & neat. & face it, that kid is going to wear a uniform of some sort, he'd better get used to the idea of conforming.

So get over it. Frankly I'm looking forward to schools getting rid of belly revealing shirts for 5 yr olds or 15 yr olds. And buttcracks. Sloppy looks.

The child has an option to keep his hair long, his parents just want to buck the system.

I brush and plait my daughters hair every day - they can do the same.

OH, and a child with neon pink hair would be a distraction.

School isn't a fashion show, its for LEARNING. For getting an education so you know that when you sign your child up for a school and get the pamphlet that specifies "hair no longer than... for boys..." you'll understand it and not snivel about it.

Ok, to the bolded- this is a PUBLIC school if I'm not mistaken and a parent should not have to foot the bill to put their child in another school because of assinine public school rules.  I'm sorry but I can't afford that and she probably can't either.  I looked into sending my son to another public school (because I disagree 100% with uniforms) and it would have cost me over $2000 A YEAR just to send him to a different public school o.O  I'm so not even kidding.  You have to pay tuition costs if you're out of district.  So yeah, please don't be ignorant like that and assume that that was even an option!

 

If they don't like the schools' rules then they should foot the bill and find an alternative.  Between scholarships, alternative schools, church schools, and charter schools - that child has options.

Dresscodes like that MOST CERTAINLY do NOT stop bullying.  When the clothes, shoes, material things are gone then kids will (and do) make fun of each other for physical features, income, speech, etc.  Kids are mean and are going to bully each other NO MATTER WHAT.

 

LOL when were you last in a school that utilised uniforms?  Of course it doesn't STOP all bullying but it does reduce it.  Children pick on one another no matter what because they have lousy parents who don't teach them to be better.  I attended a church school for a while and I LOVED the freedom of not figuring out what to wear every day. 

As far as wearing appropriate clothing to work- you get paid to work there.  These children HAVE to go to school- as far as they're concerned (b/c they don't usually value the education until they're MUCH older), they are getting nothing out of it and are being forced to go- please don't compare the two because they're not the same by any means.  You are earning an income so yes, you should obide by your employers rules, these kids have a mandatory obligation to receive some sort of schooling so for the most part they HAVE to go to school- which means they should be at least allowed the freedom of self expression.

Looking at that childs' parents, they seem to appreciate the value of a FREE education, just drama and what ever attention they can garner for themselves.  I'm not surprised they put his hair above his education.  Of course children don't appreciate the education in and of itself.  But you would think his adult parents would.

 

Furthermore, I disagree 100% that unnatural hair coloring is even a distraction.  It is for all of maybe 5 minutes and then kids move on- trust me...my high school had no such ruling on unnatural hair coloring and none of us were distracted by the rainbow of colors we saw every day.  That's neither here nor there- if this boy is not allowed to have long hair because it's a distraction- absolutely no girl in that school should be allowed to have long hair either.  It's flat out sexist as someone else mentioned.  If it's distracting on a boy, it's just as distracting on a girl.

 

Again - when is the last time you walked into an elementary school and saw blue and pink spiked hair and the attention swirl around that child?  The notes swirling the classroom about where did the get the extensions, how much did it cost, how did they talk their parents into it?  And if it wasn't a clip in, braid in extension, then how did they do it, etc.....

I think that little boy is adorable and if he wants his hair long and isn't misbehaving in school then they should just leave him alone.

 I never said that child wasn't cute but his parents are drama addicts and its disgusting.  Get over it, find a different school or homeschool him.  An even better option, then he can run around au naturale with his long hair etc and not have any damn rules.  That is apparently their goal.

 

Ok first off, I'm only 23 so it wasn't long that I was in the school system and we had dresscodes but they weren't completely assinine.  They were there to ensure that girls didn't come in with microskirts or daisy dukes that were showing off their goods and stuff like that.  Secondly, I have a 2nd grader so I'm in a public elementary school quite often.

Please explain to me why it is that someone who doesn't agree with the public schools rules (that are, imo, an attempt to shape every individual into Lemmings.  Everybody isn't the same so we shouldn't all be forced to look the same.) should "foot the bill" and take their child to another school.  If I had done so, I'd not be able to pay my bills or buy my children food. I tried to homeschool him but he refused to pay attention to me and is getting straight A's in public school so in the end it wasn't worth it to make his education suffer but his personality and self esteem are suffering.  I don't have another option- he HAS to go to his public school and I certainly do not agree with their STUPID rules.  My child looks like a miniature adult instead of a child and quite frankly, I find that to be absolutely disgusting.

Even with his stupid dresscode, my son has come home MORE THAN ONCE crying because someone slapped him, told him to shut up, called him annoying (he can be a bit hyper), or made fun of him somehow.  So basically he's had his freedom of expression taken away AND he's dealing with bullying so I fail to see how the stupid dresscodes are helping anyone when he's still getting just as bullied as the kids I went to elementary school did without dresscodes/uniforms.

Also, my sons school allows the kids to have unusual hairstyles (mostly because a judge here even ruled that there is no way that's disruptive).  There's at least one kid in the 2nd grade with a mohawk and nobody even really pays attention to the fact that his hair is different so again- no I don't think hair can be a distraction.  Another thing- if parents teach their children to accept everyone's differences, then more kids would be like my son and not even react in the slightest bit to a kid with a different hair style.  It's parents who agree with the dresscodes (in my experience) who teach their children (whether intentional or not) that everyone should look the same. Thus when these kids see someone different, they question everything and stare.

Idk about his parents because I obviously don't know them (alas neither do you yet you judge them...) but I know I personally avoid confrontations if at all possible (social anxiety and all that). I would at least be contacting the school board if my son was descriminated against and this is descrimination.  Girls can have long hair but boys can't.  It's sexism. Period.  Our school board is terrible so I know that if it were my son (who does have long shaggy hair btw), I'd be getting a lawyer.  I probably wouldn't contact the press but I would probably be sueing for sexual descrimination.

Colleen - posted on 01/13/2010

I live in South Africa and we have school uniforms and strict rules so we have grown up knowing that breaking the rules means consequences, even if they seem ridiculous. It may seem cruel to have everyone conform, but here it seems to have a good effect on our children as they 'know where they stand'. It is hard enough as parents to control our own children, let alone have to control a whole bunch of other peoples too. If there are no rules there will be anarchy....too many chiefs and no indians!

However I do feel that rules should make sense! We are currently under siege with our crime rate due to our government not enforcing their rules with regard to "ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CRIME" . Instead they are focused on silly things like trying to have smoking banned in your own home. Frankly I'd rather take my chances with the very odd chance of encountering second hand smoke than wake up to four armed men who pour boiling water on your husband and then microwave your baby to extort as much cash from you as possible.

Back to the topic at hand,.....I agree that suspending a 4 year old with long hair is silly in this case. I think little kids should be allowed to be 'free' children at least until they get to 'big school'. So many years are spent at school 'conforming' so why not allow the 'pre-school' years to be filled with fun as well as basic learning? They allow that with our children in South Africa and like I've mentioned.....to some we're the uniformed rule obeying control freaks!

Jess - posted on 01/13/2010

Does the word discrimination start ringing in anyone else's mind when they see this ? What right does the school have to say what is an OK length for a childs hair ? If he was a little girl would it be a problem ? Its not as if the hair is down to his ankle's or as if he is tripping over it. It appears clean, and he seems to like it. What is the problem ?

Sharon - posted on 01/13/2010

Quoting Danielle:

Quoting Sharon:

His parents knew the rules.

They don't like it, they shouldn't ask ##### students to accept their normalcy, they should find a school that is their version of normal.

Schools are coming around to making conformity rules to get rid of kids fighting. To prevent kids from standing out, to prevent shit like columbine.

if all kids are dressed alike, and basically look alike, alot of those silly rivalries will be null.

The playing ground will never be perfectly level. But its a step in the right direction.

I'm all about individuality and non conformity. Ask anyone here. I refuse to fit anyones mold. But when I go to work, I wear the specified clothes, fix my hair, and dress clean & neat. & face it, that kid is going to wear a uniform of some sort, he'd better get used to the idea of conforming.

So get over it. Frankly I'm looking forward to schools getting rid of belly revealing shirts for 5 yr olds or 15 yr olds. And buttcracks. Sloppy looks.

The child has an option to keep his hair long, his parents just want to buck the system.

I brush and plait my daughters hair every day - they can do the same.

OH, and a child with neon pink hair would be a distraction.

School isn't a fashion show, its for LEARNING. For getting an education so you know that when you sign your child up for a school and get the pamphlet that specifies "hair no longer than... for boys..." you'll understand it and not snivel about it.

Ok, to the bolded- this is a PUBLIC school if I'm not mistaken and a parent should not have to foot the bill to put their child in another school because of assinine public school rules.  I'm sorry but I can't afford that and she probably can't either.  I looked into sending my son to another public school (because I disagree 100% with uniforms) and it would have cost me over $2000 A YEAR just to send him to a different public school o.O  I'm so not even kidding.  You have to pay tuition costs if you're out of district.  So yeah, please don't be ignorant like that and assume that that was even an option!

 

If they don't like the schools' rules then they should foot the bill and find an alternative.  Between scholarships, alternative schools, church schools, and charter schools - that child has options.

Dresscodes like that MOST CERTAINLY do NOT stop bullying.  When the clothes, shoes, material things are gone then kids will (and do) make fun of each other for physical features, income, speech, etc.  Kids are mean and are going to bully each other NO MATTER WHAT.

 

LOL when were you last in a school that utilised uniforms?  Of course it doesn't STOP all bullying but it does reduce it.  Children pick on one another no matter what because they have lousy parents who don't teach them to be better.  I attended a church school for a while and I LOVED the freedom of not figuring out what to wear every day. 

As far as wearing appropriate clothing to work- you get paid to work there.  These children HAVE to go to school- as far as they're concerned (b/c they don't usually value the education until they're MUCH older), they are getting nothing out of it and are being forced to go- please don't compare the two because they're not the same by any means.  You are earning an income so yes, you should obide by your employers rules, these kids have a mandatory obligation to receive some sort of schooling so for the most part they HAVE to go to school- which means they should be at least allowed the freedom of self expression.

Looking at that childs' parents, they seem to appreciate the value of a FREE education, just drama and what ever attention they can garner for themselves.  I'm not surprised they put his hair above his education.  Of course children don't appreciate the education in and of itself.  But you would think his adult parents would.

 

Furthermore, I disagree 100% that unnatural hair coloring is even a distraction.  It is for all of maybe 5 minutes and then kids move on- trust me...my high school had no such ruling on unnatural hair coloring and none of us were distracted by the rainbow of colors we saw every day.  That's neither here nor there- if this boy is not allowed to have long hair because it's a distraction- absolutely no girl in that school should be allowed to have long hair either.  It's flat out sexist as someone else mentioned.  If it's distracting on a boy, it's just as distracting on a girl.

 

Again - when is the last time you walked into an elementary school and saw blue and pink spiked hair and the attention swirl around that child?  The notes swirling the classroom about where did the get the extensions, how much did it cost, how did they talk their parents into it?  And if it wasn't a clip in, braid in extension, then how did they do it, etc.....

I think that little boy is adorable and if he wants his hair long and isn't misbehaving in school then they should just leave him alone.

 I never said that child wasn't cute but his parents are drama addicts and its disgusting.  Get over it, find a different school or homeschool him.  An even better option, then he can run around au naturale with his long hair etc and not have any damn rules.  That is apparently their goal.

Danielle - posted on 01/13/2010

Quoting Sharon:

His parents knew the rules.

They don't like it, they shouldn't ask ##### students to accept their normalcy, they should find a school that is their version of normal.

Schools are coming around to making conformity rules to get rid of kids fighting. To prevent kids from standing out, to prevent shit like columbine.

if all kids are dressed alike, and basically look alike, alot of those silly rivalries will be null.

The playing ground will never be perfectly level. But its a step in the right direction.

I'm all about individuality and non conformity. Ask anyone here. I refuse to fit anyones mold. But when I go to work, I wear the specified clothes, fix my hair, and dress clean & neat. & face it, that kid is going to wear a uniform of some sort, he'd better get used to the idea of conforming.

So get over it. Frankly I'm looking forward to schools getting rid of belly revealing shirts for 5 yr olds or 15 yr olds. And buttcracks. Sloppy looks.

The child has an option to keep his hair long, his parents just want to buck the system.

I brush and plait my daughters hair every day - they can do the same.

OH, and a child with neon pink hair would be a distraction.

School isn't a fashion show, its for LEARNING. For getting an education so you know that when you sign your child up for a school and get the pamphlet that specifies "hair no longer than... for boys..." you'll understand it and not snivel about it.

Ok, to the bolded- this is a PUBLIC school if I'm not mistaken and a parent should not have to foot the bill to put their child in another school because of assinine public school rules.  I'm sorry but I can't afford that and she probably can't either.  I looked into sending my son to another public school (because I disagree 100% with uniforms) and it would have cost me over $2000 A YEAR just to send him to a different public school o.O  I'm so not even kidding.  You have to pay tuition costs if you're out of district.  So yeah, please don't be ignorant like that and assume that that was even an option!

Dresscodes like that MOST CERTAINLY do NOT stop bullying.  When the clothes, shoes, material things are gone then kids will (and do) make fun of each other for physical features, income, speech, etc.  Kids are mean and are going to bully each other NO MATTER WHAT.

As far as wearing appropriate clothing to work- you get paid to work there.  These children HAVE to go to school- as far as they're concerned (b/c they don't usually value the education until they're MUCH older), they are getting nothing out of it and are being forced to go- please don't compare the two because they're not the same by any means.  You are earning an income so yes, you should obide by your employers rules, these kids have a mandatory obligation to receive some sort of schooling so for the most part they HAVE to go to school- which means they should be at least allowed the freedom of self expression.

Furthermore, I disagree 100% that unnatural hair coloring is even a distraction.  It is for all of maybe 5 minutes and then kids move on- trust me...my high school had no such ruling on unnatural hair coloring and none of us were distracted by the rainbow of colors we saw every day.  That's neither here nor there- if this boy is not allowed to have long hair because it's a distraction- absolutely no girl in that school should be allowed to have long hair either.  It's flat out sexist as someone else mentioned.  If it's distracting on a boy, it's just as distracting on a girl.

I think that little boy is adorable and if he wants his hair long and isn't misbehaving in school then they should just leave him alone.

Jodi - posted on 01/13/2010

My son goes to a school where they are not allowed to have their hair below their collars......I don't have an issue with it. I chose to send him to that school knowing its strict uniform and grooming policy. If this school had a policy in place, and it is a legally allowable policy, then really, the parents are the ones in the wrong.

Kelsey - posted on 01/13/2010

I agree, a dress code is there to prevent inappropriate outfits, like mini skirts that bending over in would be x rated, inapproprite t-shirts, etc. The only way a hair style would be inappropriate, would be if there was a swastica shaved into your head. Longer hair on a little boy is in no way inappropriate, and no school should have the right to suspend a child for that, especially a PUBLIC school. That dress code must have been from the stone ages, or whoever wrote it was stoned LOL! Wow, I mean really! You cant blame school shootings like Colombine on kids looking like indeviduals and not clones. Teasing is always going to happen, even if they all did look like clones. You cant even blame it on the teasing, kids are teased every day, there is something wrong with the ones that bring a gun to school because of it. You really cant avoid school shootings with a dress code, thats just crazy. Since when is long hair different anyway?! Half the kids in my town have long hair! What the hell is wrong with Texas!? Are they really that ignorant there?! Thats just stupid beyond beleif! If I were his mom, I would have fought it another way though. He shouldnt be missing school over his moms argument.

Brandy - posted on 01/12/2010

I dont understand the whole perspective that if kids all look alike then there will be less bullying and kids being picked on. I find that ridiculous. Kids will find something to use to pick on kids. It's part of life, and has been that way for eternity. I'm not saying bullying is ok. I'm saying that if it's not clothes or hair it will be where their parents work or what kind of house they live in. It's a part of life than cannot be avoided. There are life lessons learned during our school years.....ones that can be learned from being different. Maybe I'm wrong but I think people try to protect kids so much sometimes that they forget to let them live and learn. I dont like the thought of my kids being the target for other kids to make fun of them, but when that happened to my oldest child we worked through it together, and although it hurt his feelings he learned ways to ignore it and deal with it. Those are things he will use all his life.

Erin - posted on 01/12/2010

Quoting Meranda:

Allkids wet their pants but to kick them out of school is bull-shit.... i understand if it was head lice but not pissin' the bed, some kids can't control that....some ppl iss me off

what are you talking about?? "pissin' the bed", did I miss something??

Brittany - posted on 01/12/2010

Agreed. The parents knew the policies. I think that they are being stupid. If they didn't agree with the policy, they never should have placed their child in that school. Now they are all just punishing the child. I saw the mom's interview and I also saw the child speak. He said that he missed his friends, he didn't really seem to care about his hair. It seems like the mom is trying to fight a battle here, and while I see what she is doing, she is only helping to punish her child for her beliefs.

Meranda - posted on 01/12/2010

Allkids wet their pants but to kick them out of school is bull-shit.... i understand if it was head lice but not pissin' the bed, some kids can't control that....some ppl iss me off

Erin - posted on 01/12/2010

Quoting Iysha:

I can't believe that!!! I live in California near a beach community and so many little boys have the same style of hair as that little boy. That is rediculous. Hair should not be a problem. That is completely sexist...I bet they don't have the same rules for the girls that go to that school. If I was that mother, I would tell the administrators to have EVERYONE at that child's school keep their hair shorter than their ears, then I would cut my boy's hair! I can't believe they would keep that poor kid out of a class room because of the length of his hair!

I can see the Bright Red hair that Erin talked about being against the rules with the problems with gangs in the school... that rule was enforced at all the schools I went to and I graduated highschool in 2006. Pink hair, green hair and all that was ok though, just not red or blue.

But LONG HAIR??! that's just dumb... I don't know if that can go to court, but I would try if that happened to one of my sons, if I had any =]

The red hair had nothing to do with gangs lol, I went to school in a town with 1 stoplight and corn fields as far as the eye could see. It wouldn't have matter if she wore bright pink, blue, green purple whatever. It happened because she was considered the girl from the wrong sides of the tracks, she wasn't popular or into sports so that made her an outcast so she got made an example from. And no where in the dresscode did it she anything about bright colored hair, so I think it was wrong, just like this story, I mean he's 4 for crying out loud. Let it go!!

The story was actually on the big network news because her family made such a stink about it.

Ashley - posted on 01/12/2010

in canada a lawyer in their right mind would never take a case like that. it would cost more to take them to court than whatever you were goin to actually sue for. i see in the states people can sue for a lot more than they can here.

Shawn - posted on 01/12/2010

My God what is the world coming to when you have to suspend a child because of their hair.
My oldest who is now 19 but was 17 had hair down to middle of back and i was called and ask about it butni just looked at the principal and said you have no reason to say anything. i dont see a problem and if he gets suspended i will see you in court....

Iysha - posted on 01/12/2010

I can't believe that!!! I live in California near a beach community and so many little boys have the same style of hair as that little boy. That is rediculous. Hair should not be a problem. That is completely sexist...I bet they don't have the same rules for the girls that go to that school. If I was that mother, I would tell the administrators to have EVERYONE at that child's school keep their hair shorter than their ears, then I would cut my boy's hair! I can't believe they would keep that poor kid out of a class room because of the length of his hair!



I can see the Bright Red hair that Erin talked about being against the rules with the problems with gangs in the school... that rule was enforced at all the schools I went to and I graduated highschool in 2006. Pink hair, green hair and all that was ok though, just not red or blue.



But LONG HAIR??! that's just dumb... I don't know if that can go to court, but I would try if that happened to one of my sons, if I had any =]

Sharon - posted on 01/12/2010

His parents knew the rules.



They don't like it, they shouldn't ask ##### students to accept their normalcy, they should find a school that is their version of normal.



Schools are coming around to making conformity rules to get rid of kids fighting. To prevent kids from standing out, to prevent shit like columbine.



if all kids are dressed alike, and basically look alike, alot of those silly rivalries will be null.



The playing ground will never be perfectly level. But its a step in the right direction.



I'm all about individuality and non conformity. Ask anyone here. I refuse to fit anyones mold. But when I go to work, I wear the specified clothes, fix my hair, and dress clean & neat. & face it, that kid is going to wear a uniform of some sort, he'd better get used to the idea of conforming.



So get over it. Frankly I'm looking forward to schools getting rid of belly revealing shirts for 5 yr olds or 15 yr olds. And buttcracks. Sloppy looks.



The child has an option to keep his hair long, his parents just want to buck the system.



I brush and plait my daughters hair every day - they can do the same.



OH, and a child with neon pink hair would be a distraction.



School isn't a fashion show, its for LEARNING. For getting an education so you know that when you sign your child up for a school and get the pamphlet that specifies "hair no longer than... for boys..." you'll understand it and not snivel about it.

Angie - posted on 01/12/2010

I don't believe this is discrimination because the child was breaking the school's dress code. The parents didn't do their homework before they signed their child up. The entire thing is stupid. Unless the child's hair is causing a disruption at school he should be able to look messy. The parents went WAY overboard in calling the press. As soon as we don't get our way, we call the press or a lawyer. Get over it, folks, it's not a big deal!

Dorothy - posted on 01/12/2010

thats a bunch of hooya isent that discrimination???????seriously i would want my lawyer.

Ashley - posted on 01/12/2010

poor kid looks like a little girl with his hair in a pony tail.

Erin - posted on 01/12/2010

Quoting kati:

absolutely ridiculous!! hair has no effect on a student, it could be bright pink and i wouldn't care. i feel sorry for this family.

I know it's ridiculous but a girl got kicked out of my school for having bright red hair, but that was high school. Everyone thought it was dumb then too, that was 15 years ago.

Andrea - posted on 01/12/2010

lol my oldest son wouldnt be allowed to go to school if thats the way it was here! in fact more then half my community's children wouldnt be able to go to school.

Kelsey - posted on 01/12/2010

WTF?! How the hell do they think they can put restrictions on that!? And what idiot actually enforced it?! How is it in any way inappropriate???? WOW! People are morons!

Rosie - posted on 01/12/2010

absolutely ridiculous!! hair has no effect on a student, it could be bright pink and i wouldn't care. i feel sorry for this family.