Whose side are you on?

[Papa Deuce]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,332971,00.html


PARMA, Ohio — A kindergarten student with a freshly spiked Mohawk has been suspended from school.

Michelle Barile, the mother of 6-year-old Bryan Ruda, said nothing in the Parma Community School handbook prohibits the haircut, characterized by closely shaved sides with a strip of prominent hair on top. The school said the hair was a distraction for other students.

"I understand they have a dress code. I understand he has a uniform. But this is total discrimination," she said. "They can't tell me how I can cut his hair."

An administrator at the suburban Cleveland charter school first warned Barile last fall that the haircut wasn't acceptable. The school later sent another warning to her reiterating the ban.

Mohawks violate the school's policy on being properly groomed, school Principal Linda Geyer said. Also, the school district's dress code allows school officials to forbid anything that interferes with the conduct of education.

Ruda's hair became a disruption last week when Ruda arrived freshly shorn, Geyer said. Administrators called Barile on Friday telling her to pick Ruda up from school.

"This was his third infraction," Geyer said Tuesday. "We felt that we were being extremely patient."

Rather than request a hearing to appeal the suspension, Barile said she'll enroll him at another school. Changing the hairstyle is not an option, she said.

"It's something that he really likes," Barile said. "When people hear Mohawk, they think it's long, it's spiked, it's crazy looking, and it's really not."

 

[Papa Deuce]

I voted for the school, but only because they have it ( proper grooming ) as a policy. Honestly, I think it is much ado about nothing.

 

[poohandwendy]

I dunno, but I think that haircut is atrocious. (cute kid, bad haircut) Why would she want to cut his hair that way?

I would probably side with the school, I think they were patient with her. I also think much ado about nothing.

 

[Cindyluwho]

If it isn't in the rulebook how can they enforce it?
Our school policy is: "Hair must be of a modest style and of natural color"
The school is a private Lutheran school.
That being said, my DD14 has her hair died black underneath her natural brown with scarlet streaks in between the layers. The scarlet only shows if she pulls her hair back. She did get permission from the principal before having it colored.

 

[poohandwendy]

I voted for the school, but only because they have it ( proper grooming ) as a policy. Honestly, I think it is much ado about nothing.

If it isn't in the rulebook how can they enforce it?

They kind of have that covered with this (most schools do this):

Mohawks violate the school's policy on being properly groomed, school Principal Linda Geyer said. Also, the school district's dress code allows school officials to forbid anything that interferes with the conduct of education.

They leave it open to their interpretation. I think the school was fair in being patient after letting her know it wasn't acceptable. I think she just wanted to make a point about it.
I would agree with her if they didn't give her time to do something about it. I can't really sympathize when they gave her three warnings and plenty of time.

 

[caitty13]

I understand schools have rules but shouldn't a child have some style? Safety is important but a haircut isn't harmful...

 

[Cindyluwho]

I voted for the school, but only because they have it ( proper grooming ) as a policy. Honestly, I think it is much ado about nothing.

That's pretty loose terminology though. Because really, it is properly groomed "for a mohawk". Heck that could even be applied to any hairstyle, as long as it was groomed properly?
And god forbid that kid is part Mohawk Native American because then the stuff is truly gonna hit the fan!

 

[poohandwendy]

I understand schools have rules but shouldn't a child have some style? Safety is important but a haircut isn't harmful...

No, not harmful. But, a haircut can be distracting. I think that is what the school is saying.

 

[daisyduck123]

I dunno, but I think that haircut is atrocious.

So do I.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

I was originally going to say the mother and son, until I found out the school has a dress code. Even if it wasn't spelled out she knows they would've frowned on the haircut.

 

[Cindyluwho]

Now in what fresh hair hell can a mohawk interfere with the "conduct of education"?

 

[MAKmom]

I voted for the school but I meant to vote for the Mom. If they do not allow it they need to put it in the hand book.

 

[poohandwendy]

That's pretty loose terminology though. Because really, it is properly groomed "for a mohawk". Heck that could even be applied to any hairstyle, as long as it was groomed properly?
And god forbid that kid is part Mohawk Native American because then the stuff is truly gonna hit the fan!

Just like your DDs schools 'modest' terminology, they keep it vague so that they can make decisions based on individual cases.

There isn't any way for a handbook to cover every single possible scenario, so they leave a part that gives them some leeway to forbid something that they deem inappropriate, but hadn't thought of when making the rules.

 

[wardfamily1]

Unless he is a Mohican this is absurd.

The mother obviously has issues, why on earth would she give this haircut to a 6 year old? Sounds like she's trying to push the schools buttons.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Again, I think it is no big deal, but I think the fact that it is a charter school plays into it. Most charter schools are more conservative than public schools, IMO, and people pretty much know what is expected, whether stated in writing or not.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Now in what fresh hair hell can a mohawk interfere with the "conduct of education"?

in the same way that certain messages on t-shirts could...

Mikeeee

 

[minniecarousel]

eh - let the kid express himself. I have 10 year-old triplet niece and nephews. One of the boys has a mohawk. It's his way of trying to be an individual. He'll get tired of it in a few years. I'd rather see a mohawk on a 6 to 12 year old, than in a teenager. I say let the kid "get it out of his system". Although, my older son has a good friend he's known since childhood who still wears a mohawk. (so there were 2 mohawk-wearing guys at his wedding!)

 

[Cindyluwho]

The mother obviously has issues, why on earth would she give this haircut to a 6 year old? Sounds like she's trying to push the schools buttons.

Well now, I feel that way about little redneck 6 year olds with mullets with little tails down the back. What the heck are they thinking? But it is their child and their decision, not mine.
To each his own.

 

[believe]

I can't think of one school around here, where children wear uniforms, that a mohawk would be allowed. Typically schools with uniforms are also strict on other parts of the appearance.

As for causing a disruption, if all the students knew this was against the policy I am sure they were all talking about it, etc. instead of focusing on their school work.

 

[pr surfer]

If it's a public school, I'm for the parents.

If it's a private school... well, they're free to set their own policies since it's not my tax dollars funding them.