Posted on 12/04/2006 6:57:33 PM PST by DogByte6RER
WEIRD BUT TRUE
By DAN KADISON, Wire Services
December 4, 2006 -- An Albuquerque principal is in a hairy situation after driving a student off campus to a barbershop last week without seeking the permission of the teen's parents.
Al Sanchez, of Rio Grande HS, faces disciplinary action after giving the 15-year-old boy two choices: receive a suspension or remove what he thought were gang symbols that had been shaved into the kid's head.
Sanchez said he "was just trying to do a nice thing."
The boy, a boxer, said the designs - the number "505" and New Mexico's Zia Sun Symbol - were there to let the crowd know he was from the state during an upcoming bout.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
He should have contacted the parents first with the student in his office and then the principal could have given his ultimatum to both the parents and the student.
What is truly ironic about this news report is if the student were a pregnant teenaged girl, there would probably be no outrage or controversey in the school district if the principal took the girl to an abortion clinic.
Go figure...
He should be fired.
This principal needs a big dose of common sense. "505" is the area code for New Mexico and the Zia sun symbol is on every car license and is the state's symbol if I remember correctly. The kid was just expressing pride in his state.
Yeah, yer' right. That's what's sick.
OK, he is in deep doodoo for taking a child for a haircut without consulting the parents? He could, however, have taken a child for an ABORTION without consulting the parents, at least here in California.
There's common sense for you. Not.
He could say he helped the student abort a large mass of follicular tissue.
Isn't he NEA wonderful?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A high school principal could be in trouble for taking one of his students to a barber shop — without permission of the pupil's parents.
"Students should not be taken off of campus by any staff member without parental permission," said Rigo Chavez, district spokesman.
Rio Grande High School Principal Al Sanchez said he thought Fidel Maldonado Jr.'s hair style — the number "505" and a Zia symbol shaved into the back of his head — was a gang haircut. The Zia, a sun design on the state flag, can be traced to a symbol on a 19th century Zia Pueblo water jar. 505 is New Mexico's area code.
Sanchez said he thought he was doing Maldonado, 15, a favor by taking him to a barber instead of suspending him. "I said, 'Do you want to just go to the barber and cut it off?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'Let's go,'" Sanchez said.
But the barber, Jake Maestas, said he refused to cut the teenager's hair without parental permission and told the boy to call his father.
Fidel Maldonado Sr. said the law was broken when the principal took his son off campus. He said he is considering legal action. "For him to take my son and take him out of school without my consent, against his own will, is wrong," the elder Maldonado said.
It was not clear if the hair style was connected to a gang.
The barber has more sense than the principal. I'm shocked! /s
"It was not clear if the hair style was connected to a gang."
Well, judging by this comment from some member of the press, I have to believe common walking around sense is in short supply in New Mexico. Does this press person not know his own area code or the state's own symbol?
Now I never saw even one episode of American Idol a couple of years ago when Rueben Studdard, the quite large fellow from Birmingham, Alabama, wore shirts emblazoned with "205" as he sang his way to stardom. Perhaps the press person nor the principal saw Studdard's performances either, but kids have been wearing clothing emblazoned their own area codes ever since. It has become an item in the popular culture. To not see these clothing items, the principal and the newspaper writer must live on so far out on the pueblo that it doesn't even have an area code.
On the other hand, the kid's father also does not seem to understand the ignorance of the principal either since he is more concerned with "law breaking" instead of the stupidity of the principal.
I had no idea that kids are wearing their area codes but I do know that kids like to wear a lot of weird things. If every kid that looks funny is a gang banger we'd better redeploy the troops back HERE and fast. Thinking a zia is some malicious symbol is hilarious.
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