Whose side are you on?

[poohandwendy]

And I still view it as a violation of civil liberties, as do many others, and I'm certain that a definition needs to be made on the topic of freedom of dress, as there is far too much inconsistency when such a decision is left at a local level.

Just wanted to address what you added.

Unfortunately, the decision always needs to be left at the local level, where the individual case can get individual attention. There is no universal code that would work for every school situation. That is why we have school boards and administrators, to make those decisions and enforce the policies.

And that is also why every single year school districts have to keep adding to their dress codes to try to cover every possible inappropriate violation because there are always new things that come up that can be disruptive to the educational atmosphere.

(some dress code issues that come to mind are gang colors/trench coats/the stupid jelly bracelet thing) It's a shame they have to constantly try to stay a step ahead of things so much that way, but it is what it is.

It's important to remember that with the right to a 'free education' comes the right to an educational atmosphere that is not disruptive or distracted. This may not be an as much of an issue for the average student, but there are some students who legitimately have a hard time learning if there is any visual distraction or disruption. So the less disruptions, the more likely they are getting the education they need.

(I am not comparing this kids hair cut to gang colors/or trench coats, just using those as examples of things that might not be obvious until they prove to be a real educational atmosphere distraction)

 

[Humphrey Bear]

Our son was accepted to this school for Kindergarten but we decided to put him in our public school instead. I do remember that the screening was pretty lengthy and involved many meetings with the parents. They are very upfront with the dress code and what is expected of the kids in regards to uniforms, grooming standards and behavioral standards. This is not a school that you would want to send your kid to if he just had to have a mohawk as they make it well known that any deviation from their standards are not allowed.

 

[Beth76]

I voted foir the school because I honestly believe this has nothing to do about the boy and more about the Mother imposing her wishes on a little fella who just wants to fit in. She is even willing to disrupt his life and switch schools over a haircut, obviously not thinking in the best interests of the child.

Not only that but she's making a story out of it and putting her son's name and picture in the media.

I'm for the school. It sounds like this is against their written policy and the mother is just trying to cause trouble. What a great way to start her son's education.

 

[Cool-Beans]

This being Parma, I'm on the side of whomever it is that isn't holding the pierogies. I don't want to get caught in the fray.

 

[hniki234]

I honestly don't get what the big deal is about a mohawk. And I don't understand why schools feel they need to police something like that. I understand the need for a dress code of some sort, but I feel that dictating how a kid should wear his or her hair is a bit much. I think the argument that it is "distracting" is incredibly weak. It seems to me that the school was the one making a big deal out of it.

 

[KikiFan]

I think all this fuss over a silly haircut is really a waste of time and energy. The school needs to spend time on things that are actually important.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Not only that but she's making a story out of it and putting her son's name and picture in the media.

I'm for the school. It sounds like this is against their written policy and the mother is just trying to cause trouble. What a great way to start her son's education.

ITA...I feel bad for the kid. If she hated mohawks and the kid "liked it", would she still be so gung ho for his right to wear it?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I think all this fuss over a silly haircut is really a waste of time and energy. The school needs to spend time on things that are actually important.

The school said NO three times...seems like she is the one wasting their time..

 

[EMom]

ITA...I feel bad for the kid. If she hated mohawks and the kid "liked it", would she still be so gung ho for his right to wear it?

You make a very valid point. How much of this is about mom and how much is about the little boy? Methinks is is 99% about mom wanting to stamp her feet to make a statement and she's just using the boy as her tool. If he wanted to dye his hair green and purple and have one side shaved while keeping the other side long and she hated the idea, does anyone honestly think she would put her feelings aside and "let him express himself" and get his hair styled that way? Poppycock! What a load of horse manure. She'd probably trot out the "As long as you're living under my house, you'll live by my rules" line so fast, Junior's head would spin.

No, Mommy's the one with authority issues here. The school probably decided to nip this in the bud because they can see she's a PIA from a mile away.

 

[Chipmunk89]

I'm for mom and son. Honestly, how long can a hair style be disruptive? After a few days, it's OLD NEWS!

I think all this fuss over a silly haircut is really a waste of time and energy. The school needs to spend time on things that are actually important.

I am completely with the mom. The wording in the handbook is way too vague. "Properly groomed" is left open to much interpretation. And as for causing a distraction, like DLBDS said, after a few days it's old news.

Let's say a little girl had very long hair. When she sits at her desk, her hair is on the desk of the student behind her. That would be a distraction. Would they make the little girl cut her hair? Probably not.

Some people may think my DS8 hair is distracting. His has very long hair (about to his middle/lower back). No school could make me change/or cut my son's hair. It is the style he likes.

BTW, the mohawk is very popular right now, especially in the elementary schools. Even celebs have their children in 'hawks. (Angie Jolie & Gwen Stefani)

 

[KariC]

Our son was accepted to this school for Kindergarten but we decided to put him in our public school instead. I do remember that the screening was pretty lengthy and involved many meetings with the parents. They are very upfront with the dress code and what is expected of the kids in regards to uniforms, grooming standards and behavioral standards. This is not a school that you would want to send your kid to if he just had to have a mohawk as they make it well known that any deviation from their standards are not allowed.

So, what you're saying is important, I think. Do you think this Mom got the same message you guys did? She probably did, so the real question might be..."why did she choose to pay to send her mohawk-lovin' son to such a mohawk-hatin' environment?"

 

[Todd&Copper]

A couple of comments:

1 - The photo with the article on FoxNews has the boy without any gel or mousse in his hair. If it were "styled" [or more accurately not styled] like this, would it have caused as much of a stir at school? Can we see it all spiked up?

2 - This is the boy's "third strike" - what does that mean? What were the other two strikes for? Was the mom gunning for a third strike so her boy would be expelled and she could try to shame the school publicly?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

You make a very valid point. How much of this is about mom and how much is about the little boy? Methinks is is 99% about mom wanting to stamp her feet to make a statement and she's just using the boy as her tool. If he wanted to dye his hair green and purple and have one side shaved while keeping the other side long and she hated the idea, does anyone honestly think she would put her feelings aside and "let him express himself" and get his hair styled that way? Poppycock! What a load of horse manure. She'd probably trot out the "As long as you're living under my house, you'll live by my rules" line so fast, Junior's head would spin.

No, Mommy's the one with authority issues here. The school probably decided to nip this in the bud because they can see she's a PIA from a mile away.

I love Poppycock...

 

[NCDisneyMom]

Personally, I don't see the big deal with a Mohawk. It's not my idea of cute, but to each their own. On my son's youth wrestling team this year, one boy came in with one, and the next week a few more had them, etc. Not my son, as his hair is all cut short, and by the time it grew out long enough, wrestling was over.

However, I am siding with the school on this one. Had they suspended the boy the first time he showed up with the Mohawk, I would have sided with the Mom. They gave him 3 warnings, which the Mother completely ignored. The school has the right to enforce any kind of dress code that they would like. She chose to ignore them, and is now making a scene over it (national news over a Mohawk? Puh-leeze). I think it's definitely more about the Mother than the child's wish to express himself.

 

[nataliela]

aww man! I voted "parent and son" but I meant to vote for the school.

The school was right....But maybe they should put a more concrete policy in writing. While I was in highschool, gauging ears (making the piercing holes bigger) become popular, the school had no written policy, b/c it was never an issue. Since they couldn’t force anyone with gauged ears to let them close up, they could only get the ones with the really big holes b/c the school did have a policy for earring up to a certain size, and if the holes were bigger than a dime(yes…that big) then they had to take them out.

That was my senior year in high school. So I am not sure what the policy was the next year…. but knowing the school well, it put a policy in its handbook to prohibit any gauging and shrinking the size of allowable earrings down to studs only.

This was a very strict catholic high school that would not let us dye our hair, or wear any necklaces or bracelets that were not religiously affiliated(as in only crosses).

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

I honestly don't get what the big deal is about a mohawk. And I don't understand why schools feel they need to police something like that. I understand the need for a dress code of some sort, but I feel that dictating how a kid should wear his or her hair is a bit much. I think the argument that it is "distracting" is incredibly weak. It seems to me that the school was the one making a big deal out of it.

I agree with you.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

I think all this fuss over a silly haircut is really a waste of time and energy. The school needs to spend time on things that are actually important.

 

[SadieDog]

I honestly don't get what the big deal is about a mohawk. And I don't understand why schools feel they need to police something like that. I understand the need for a dress code of some sort, but I feel that dictating how a kid should wear his or her hair is a bit much. I think the argument that it is "distracting" is incredibly weak. It seems to me that the school was the one making a big deal out of it.

ITA

 

[Charade]

Reasonable school rules.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'm on the mother and son's side, for the most part. First, I definitely have issues with the "properly groomed" rule. That leaves way too much open for interpretation.

We have a child in our classroom with a mohawk. It is not a distraction at all. It might have been for about five minutes when the kids first saw him with the cut, but after that it was no big deal. We also have two kids in the upper grades who have mohawks. The one's mother happened to do a medical procedure on my husband (she's a physician) and while I was talking to her I mentioned the boy's hair. She said he was begging for it, so they let him. He's a very good kid and is in the gifted program.

I don't see how a haircut (unless it was changed daily, poking someone, stunk, etc) can be that much of a distraction. I think the school is being silly and disrupting things way more than that mohawk.