Principal Washes Dye Out of Kid's Hair

AP ^ | 4-5-04

[Dan from Michigan]

Principal Washes Dye Out of Kid's Hair
Mon Apr 5,10:54 AM ET Add Strange News - AP to My Yahoo!

AUBURN, Calif. - It used to be that schoolchildren might get their mouths washed out for using blue language. These days at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, they're more likely to have their hair washed out — for sporting a blue mohawk.

Parents of a 6-year-old boy say they plan to consult an attorney after a school principal washed bright blue dye out of their son's punk-style haircut.

Levey Padocs Jr.'s father said he allowed his son to get the distinctive 'do more than a month ago for behaving better in class.

But parents of the boy's kindergarten classmates complained the haircut would spoil an upcoming class photo, so Principal Derek Cooper said he washed the boy's hair in the nurse's office after getting permission from the boy's mother.

The boy's father said neither he nor the mother approved the washing. They plan to discuss the situation with an attorney.

"Leave him alone. He's not a problem child. He's not hurting anyone," Levey Padocs Sr. said. "He's an individual, and that's how he's expressing his individuality."

[max_rpf]

If he does his homework can he get a pierced nipple?

[Voltage]

But a large plate in the lower lip is so much more attractive!

[MAKOTHEDOG]

Wow!! Kindergarten of all places.

[Dan from Michigan]

OWWWWW!

[Slings and Arrows]

Good for that principal! Incidents like this highlight the need for schools to bring back corporal punishment...for the parents.

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[CindyDawg]

He's not a problem child but he got this gift for behaving better in class?

[Texasforever]

Levey Padocs Jr.'s father said he allowed his son to get the distinctive 'do more than a month ago for behaving better in class.

And we wonder why jobs are being outsourced?

[Sam Cree]

When I was in second grade, there was one girl who always came to class in need of a bath. She was filthy and really smelled bad.

So the teacher would take the girl into the cloak room and make the kid get into a wash tub filled with water and take a bath. Only then would she be allowed in class.

[Hodar]

Simple question. "Who is responsible for the boy?"

If the principle is responsible for the boy's upkeep, food, clothes, shelter; the principle is within his rights.

If the principle is NOT responsible for the boy, and there is nothing explictly stating dress and/or hairstyle codes for the school; the principle is in gross violation of the boy's civil rights. The principle had exactly the same right to wash the dye out of a child's hair, as he would to put dye in a child's hair .... I would consider this a case if 'assault on a minor', and it should be punished as such.

If the child is creating a disturbance, remove him from the school. If you don't like the way he dresses, or looks; that's a problem YOU have. Would you tolerate a principle giving your daughter a perm, because he didn't like her hair style? Would you tolerate another adult giving your child a hair cut, because he didn't like the way it was done? Would you tolerate your boss exacting that sort of behavior upon you?

[MAKOTHEDOG]

Thats it right there!!

[Texasforever]

Would you tolerate your boss exacting that sort of behavior upon you?

I'll bet you hate outsourcing too.

[lmr]

"He's an individual, and that's how he's expressing his individuality."

Yep... Uh uh.. At 6 years old?, at least wait until he's a teenager before you make him out to be a 'Rebel without a Cause', Pops.

I happen to think that any overly distinctive and brightly-dyed hairstyle would be disruptive to the class. A dress code should be enforced.

[Grim]

Parents of a 6-year-old boy say they plan to consult an attorney

They'd be better off to consult a psychiatrist.

[max_rpf]

Simple question. "Who is responsible for the boy?"

I agree with you. This boy's parents are obviously products of MTV-U though. If I was the principal, I would have just sent the boy home. I guarantee that they have a dress code of sorts (no g-strings in the class room), and it is probably pretty loosely written.

The question that I have is: Is the mother lying about not giving permission. I think the school should get a copy of the phone records...

[Hodar]

What, pray tell, does outsourcing have to do with grabbing a child, and messing with their appearance?

I take it you would have no problem is some total stranger took it upon themselves to give your child a haircut, without your knowledge or consent? My wife was in the student picture business for a couple years... you know what? These things are actually scheduled MONTHS in advance. If the picture was so important, the school could certainly send out a flyer asking parents to refrain from this sort of behaviour.

Irregardless, a principle has NO RIGHT to grab a student, and harassess him, pubilically humiliate him, simply because he didn't like the way he looks. Where do you draw the line?

[Jaded]

The parents are MORONS. Major morons.

[Hodar]

You are correct. I think the parents are definitely not what anyone would consider 'model parents'. But, parents have the rights to be ignorant, stupid and overly indulgent of their offspring. We don't need a self-proclaimed 'Guardian of the Elementary School Pictures' to grab students and molest them in any way.

The parents were wrong to allow this; but the principle was way out of bounds to do what he did. If the story is as it is presented in the article, I would expect him to be fired, and possibly incarcerated.