Boy suspended for wearing his hair too long

[ElizK]

I noticed that this local story made national news.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582833,00.html?test=latestnews

What is your opinion? Does the school have the right to have this rule and enforce it?

 

[golfgal]

All schools around here have dress codes and general appearance codes. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Our code lists some specifics but it also states anything that is distracting to learning is not allowed.

 

[FireDancer]

I sure wouldn't consider this a hill worth dying on. There are battles in life worth fighting, some tooth and nail, but I sure don't see this as one of them.

 

[NYPDwife]

I'm assuming they received a notice about the dress code and were warned about the child's hair. What makes them special? If it was for a religious purpose, I would understand, but if it's a district-wide rule, they should follow it.

 

[C.Ann]

If rules aren't meant to be followed, why have them? Follow the rules or pay the consequences.. Seems pretty simple to me.. If he doesn't like the rules at that particular school, his parents could always pay tuition to have him go elsewhere..

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I sure wouldn't consider this a hill worth dying on. There are battles in life worth fighting, some tooth and nail, but I sure don't see this as one of them.

I agree. Being a parent means you have to chose your battles, and she is going to have a long row to hoe if she fights over every little thing. Home schooling or private school is always an option if you don't want to follow the rules. (Wonder if she would be so gung ho about this fight if she didn't like long hair, but kiddo still wanted it.)

 

[shortbun]

I sure wouldn't consider this a hill worth dying on. There are battles in life worth fighting, some tooth and nail, but I sure don't see this as one of them.

My son has very long hair and I'd defend his right to do that at almost any cost. We don't live in a small minded, backwards area so it's not an issue, thank good ness. The dress code here consists of 'no profanity or off color tee shirt slogans/photos- no underwear showing-clothes and shoes must be worn.' Long hair is not 'disruptive' unless you're an old fogie, lol!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

When I first began to read the article, I thought, oh, here we go back to the days when a man with a ponytail would not be allowed into Disneyland ( I was there and Disney had a strict dress code for guests as well as CM's).....but by the time I finished the article I was thinking, wait, a dress code is a good thing for multiple reasons. I attended Catholic grammar school and public HS and the dress was equally strict at both.

I'm all for individuality and personal rights, but it feels to me we've gone too far. The after effect of people, young or old, doing and saying whatever they want is a society lacking in manners and consideration of others.

I was a teen in the 60's and my children were born in the early 70's - I'm a liberal through and through, but all for a good dress code...and let's bring back those manners while we're at it too.

ETA: I agree with the poster after me - it is heartbreaking. This little 4 yr old really doesn't understand and for him to be spending his days alone, rather than with other children is not right. Both the school and parents are responsible for putting the little one in this situation. Yes, if braids are acceptable, why not a ponytail?

 

[Scornelius]

I just feel bad for the little boy. He's 4, and has to spend his days alone in the library? I think that's heartbreaking. His parents need to either fall in line with the school's rules, or transfer their son somewhere else. I don't think it's fair at all to make him suffer while they make some grand statement about personal freedoms.
I do, however, think the rule is stupid and that if braids are allowed, a pony tail should be allowed.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My son has very long hair and I'd defend his right to do that at almost any cost. We don't live in a small minded, backwards area so it's not an issue, thank good ness. The dress code here consists of 'no profanity or off color tee shirt slogans/photos- no underwear showing-clothes and shoes must be worn.' Long hair is not 'disruptive' unless you're an old fogie, lol!

Wow. We have uniforms and a strict dress code-no length requirements for hair that I am aware of, but nothing disruptive and no unnatural color allowed. Are we backwards here? Just wanted to know. Seems like having to include "clothes and shoes must be worn" is a little backwards- We don't have that requirement spelled out in our dress code!


It won't hurt a kid to follow a dress code that the school board has deemed fair and reasonable for the entire district. At some point in time (I know far from 4 years old) the kid will get a job and will have to adhere to the dress requirements there.

BTW, I love long clean hair on boys. I have tried to get mine to go long as they are allowed, but they get to a point and it bothers them too much. But I wouldn't have them grow it just to spite authority.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

there is such a thing as taking rules too far as well - and this one is stupid! I am all for reasonable codes. Long hair is neither distracting or disruptive.

I'm with Shortbun and glad I don't live in a small minded, back wards area!!!!

Threre was a young man in DD's classes back in elem. He had beautiful long hair which he braided. He later donated that hair to locks of love!!!!

He would not have been able to make that generous gift given this school's ridiculous rules.

 

[cheermom1]

What about a girl? should she have to keep her hair short too? just seems to me that the boys isn't hurting anyone by having his hair long...although if it were me I'd just move him to a school that doesn't worry about petty things like that...

I'm all for rules but I agree that sometimes some rules are a little too far...

Edited top add: of course I am not for uniforms in schools..I think that no matter what you do there will always be the ones that have more money and it will show regardless...now a little back ground ..I was the one that was always picked on in school and I went to public and private as well as a religious school and they are all the same ....it didn't matter what you wore..it mainly depended in personality...

 

[Art 1]

I feel bad for the little boy that he has a mother that would want him to have long hair and put him thru this.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

If rules aren't meant to be followed, why have them? Follow the rules or pay the consequences.. Seems pretty simple to me.. If he doesn't like the rules at that particular school, his parents could always pay tuition to have him go elsewhere..

Exactly. I cannot believe his mother is making such an issue over hair. Sounds like more entitlement to me. It's a school rule. An insignificant one, to boot. From her final statement, one would think the poor little boy would be absolutely tortured by following this rule. As a PP said, this is certainly not a hill to die on.

 

[padams]

DSs attend a private school. The dress code includes boy haircut standards- hair must be above the top of the required collared shirt and above the bottom of the ear lobe, and bangs must be at or above the eyebrows. If a boy comes to school with hair too long, he is told (usually by the dean of boys) to get a haircut. I would speculate that if a boy did not get a haircut, the school would suspend him. If it continued to be an issue, the school would probably ask the family to find a new school and deny reenrollment. Of course, I suspect that the admissions office deals with the issue of boys with long hair before they are accepted.

Contrary to what many of you (probably yankees) think, I disagree that Atlanta is a small minded, backwards area.

 

[Briarmom]

The kid is 4. At 4 you should not be held responsible for what you wear/how you groom yourself yet.

 

[padams]

The Fox link didn't have a photo so I found another article with a photo.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...spended_for_long_hair_can_keep_his_locks.html

 

[okeydokey]

I see nothing wrong with a dress code. I feel bad for this child. His parents are trying to make a point at his expense. Who do you think cares more about the hair style, the parents or the 4 year old.

Also, I have never known a braid to cause the scalp to bleed.

 

[JessicaR]

At 4 years old a childs hairstyle is the parents choice. At 16 it is the childs. Regardless, what the heck does it matter how ANYONE wears their hair?

 

[auntie]

I think if it's a public school..and students should be allowed to wear their hair however they want, as long as it's kept neat and not in the way. If that means a boy or a girl has to put their long hair in a pony tail during certain classes..say Gym or during lab classes..then so be it. What about a child from India or Pakistan..that wears their hair long..but it's in a turban?..are we gonna measure their hair as well? Where do ya draw the line?
Mind you..I think the kid is four..and mom should probably get the child a hair cut. That being said, I don't think a public school has the right to dictate such.
Our schools have a dress code that includes no t-shirts with controversial or offensive slogans, no underwear showing, no revealing tops. Nothing about hair. We also live in a pretty culturally diverse area, and it might be difficult to enforce any such policy.
I would have more sympathy for the mom if say, the child was a high schooler, who wanted to wear his hair long. Then I would say, as I have previously..that it's his right to wear his hair whatever length he chooses.