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Student suspended over hair design
San Antonio Express-News ^ | By Jenny LaCoste-Caputo - Express-News

Posted on 04/29/2010 8:53:26 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

A Walzem Elementary School kindergartener was suspended this week because of a swirl design cut into his closely cropped hair. Five-year-old Tyran Miller was getting out of his mom's car Monday morning when Principal Laura Huggins noticed the design.

“As soon as she saw his head, she said it was something she couldn't allow and that it was not conventional,” said Tyran's mother, Crystal Gray.

Gray was given the option of shaving Tyran's head or keeping him home until his hair grew out. If she sent him to school, she was told, he'd be in in-school suspension until the symbol was gone.

Gray opted for in-school suspension because she didn't want Tyran to stockpile absences, but she's worried because he's missing crucial time in his dual language classroom. He also missed a class field trip to the San Antonio Zoo on Tuesday.

“I was supposed to be a chaperone, so we were both looking forward to it,” she said.

North East Independent School District policy doesn't specifically address hairstyles for elementary students other than to say parents are strongly urged to enforce moderate hairstyles and high standards of dress. It also says: “While it is inevitable that there will be differences of opinion as to the appropriateness of dress and grooming, the final determination will be in the judgment of the building principal.”

Under additional information for middle and high school students, the dress code says: “Unconventional hairstyles (multicolored, spiked, Mohawk, etc.) that are considered to be distracting and/or disruptive to the educational environment are prohibited.”

Huggins said unusual hairstyles have been popping up more frequently in the past few weeks, and school administration has been cracking down. Students have been reprimanded for sporting Mohawks and “faux hawks” — when kids use gel or spray to make their hair stand up — as well as hair designs and unconventional colors. She said even though Tyran is a 5-year-old, she believes she has to enforce the rules uniformly.

“We've had the same situation with other students and have already set a precedent,” she said. “We're concerned about being fair and consistent.”

Gray said she and Tyran's father would never have had the design put in his hair if they had known it was against the rules. School administration told Gray on Monday that they had been considering specifically banning hair designs, but hadn't put anything in writing yet. A letter dated Monday came home with Tyran on Wednesday with specific examples of hairstyles considered distracting or disruptive, including designs cut into the hair.

Deb Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the school district, stressed that the principal can make the call on what constitutes “unconventional.”

“I understand the letter had not gone home but the letter was just reinforcing a policy that already existed,” Caldwell said. “It was just letting parents know how the school would go forward with enforcing the district policy.”

Caldwell said that, while she doesn't believe this is the case in Tyran's situation, symbols in the hair at the middle and high school level have been tied to gang affiliation, which is why some principals have been banning them.

~snip~

In contrast, Gray said she doesn't want to fight so Tyran can keep his design. She'll be happy when it grows out — she's hoping by this weekend — so he can return to his classmates. She just wishes the rules would've been communicated more clearly.

“I'm very comfortable with rules, but how can I comply with rules that haven't been created?” she asked. “What I really don't like is him being punished for something we did, breaking a rule we didn't know existed.”


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OK, so who's the bigger idiot here?

The school or the parents?

1 posted on 04/29/2010 8:53:26 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

That’s really a toss up question.

But as parents aren’t paid by taxpayers, I would say the school is in the wrong here.

Though the parents might very well be stupider.


2 posted on 04/29/2010 8:55:19 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

its more conventional than one might think.


3 posted on 04/29/2010 8:56:03 AM PDT by And2TheRepublic
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To: Responsibility2nd

Why is a percentage sign cut into your hair so controversial? ;)

I think it is cute!


4 posted on 04/29/2010 8:56:54 AM PDT by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
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To: Responsibility2nd
I pick the parents. Really, the school is doing them a favor.

Shave the frickin’ kid's head, he looks like he's recovering from a knife fight.

5 posted on 04/29/2010 8:57:27 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Is that the offcial Obamah Youth Corps symbol?


6 posted on 04/29/2010 8:57:29 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: Responsibility2nd

It’s a percentage sign? Who cares? The school should focus on teaching this kid to read the Constitution.


7 posted on 04/29/2010 8:58:20 AM PDT by rhombus
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To: Responsibility2nd

Poor kid dowsn’t have a chance. His parents are idiots.


8 posted on 04/29/2010 8:58:45 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, A Matter Of Fact, Not A Matter Of Opinion)
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

>>That’s really a toss up question.

But as parents aren’t paid by taxpayers, I would say the school is in the wrong here.

Though the parents might very well be stupider.<<

The rules are pretty clear. Mom should have buzz-cut him (he is almost that now anyway) and ended the whole problem.


9 posted on 04/29/2010 8:58:59 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: Responsibility2nd

It looks like the universal symbol for testicles.


10 posted on 04/29/2010 9:00:01 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Never trust anyone who points their ass at God while praying.)
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To: rhombus

>>The school should focus on teaching this kid to read the Constitution.<<

Whereas the Constitution does not end at the schoolroom door, children are considered to be a “special class” and certain rules do apply which at first blush appear to be unconstitutional.

The 4th Amendment is generally not applied to school lockers and things like dress codes, codes of conduct (including allowable speech), etc. are in place in almost all schools.

This is just a variation on the completely legal restrictions.


11 posted on 04/29/2010 9:01:48 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Craven spirits wear their master's collars but real men would rather feed the battlefield's vultures)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
12 posted on 04/29/2010 9:03:05 AM PDT by pillut48 ("Stand now. Stand together. Stand for what is right."-Gov.Sarah Palin, "Going Rogue" ><>)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Where should a public school draw the line? Can a 5yr old boy come dressed as a drag queen? How about wearing a Clown suit? G-String, falsies and high heels? There was a time when this was a ludicrus question, but due to incredably stupid parents, this is now a legitimate question.

What message does this send to the other students? What message is sent to the parents?

IMHO, a school is the first real JOB that everyone gets. The school’s task in life is to prepare the children with the fundamentals the kids will need to learn in life, things like Reading, Writing and Arithmatec - but also how to stand in line and patiently wait your turn, to stand and show respect to the flag (although, this is being discouraged in all but the most conservative schools), the kids are taught to share, to play with people different than yourself, they are taught to work as a team, they are taught what is good behavior in public, and what he consequences are for not following the rules.

You know, things that a responsible parent teaches their children - that fewer and fewer parents are actually doing today.

This parent decided to make a circus freak out of their kid - then is shocked and dismayed when the school says “Sorry, you may not do that here”.

I say, good for the school.


13 posted on 04/29/2010 9:04:46 AM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Responsibility2nd
OK, so who's the bigger idiot here? The school or the parents?

Oh, I'd say they're pretty much neck-and-neck in the loser department.
14 posted on 04/29/2010 9:05:17 AM PDT by OCCASparky (Obama--Playing a West Wing fantasy in a '24' world.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
I knew this kid looked familiar...


15 posted on 04/29/2010 9:05:28 AM PDT by rock_lobsta (zero has me pining for the glory days of carter.)
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To: reagan_fanatic
"...It looks like the universal symbol for testicles...

LOL...I didn't know there WAS one!

16 posted on 04/29/2010 9:06:07 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: Responsibility2nd

After reading the story, I’d say the school. They need to communicate more effectively with parents to let them know what they expect, in manner of hairstyles. It isn’t the parents’ fault if they didn’t know.


17 posted on 04/29/2010 9:08:40 AM PDT by Sister_T (Socialism is covetousness, wearing a mask of "caring for the poor" ... Ephesians 5:5)
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To: Hodar

I work at a hospital, and for a long time I felt that if you treated employees like adults, they would act like adults.

I always viewed dress codes in a hospital as kind of useless...who would come to work with patients dressed in unsuitable clothes?

Boy, did I find out. The rule of thumb is, if you don’t put limits on what people wear, they will push the limits until they are wearing things that shouldn’t be worn when working with the public.

There is merit in the concept of school uniforms, as much as I know that drives some people crazy.


18 posted on 04/29/2010 9:10:32 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: rock_lobsta

LOL...


19 posted on 04/29/2010 9:11:04 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: rlmorel

20 posted on 04/29/2010 9:12:28 AM PDT by dfwgator
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