A school is threatening to expel someone with naturally curly hair

sheilacurl

You wouldn't want to deal with me if I was her mom.

http://m.local10.com/news/africanamerican-girl-faces-expulsion-over-natural-hair/-/16717752/23165492/-/wf1ej/-/index.html

Rusycurly

So many issues the school could be addressing and this is what they focus on?? Damn shame

chupie

So....natural color but not natural "it grows out of my head this way."

sixelamy

I really don't understand this at all. It could be in a dress code somewhere that hair must be kept in a certain way, but I really don't think that it says in the Bible that you have to keep your hair a certain way to get to heaven.

sheilacurl

I think they need to address the bullying issue instead of telling her to cut or shape her hair. That's just beyond ridiculous.

Lisa3020

I saw this article, also and was disgusted. Really?? It's her hair, natural and beautiful. Just trying to form everyone into the "definition" of what they think is beautiful.

Korkscrew

The girl has fiercely beautiful, natural hair. We're a society that brags cultural "sensitivity training" in many adult, corporate work settings, yet often seem unwilling to foster a modicum of that cultural sensitivity in the classroom setting for our kids.

Moreover, kids need to be taught that there are going to be all sorts of distractions both inside and out of school. The challenge comes more from guiding/disciplining them on how to react to all sorts of distractions that come up. All roads lead back to that more basic moral imperative.

Strongly suspect these hair type controversies will become far less common as our naturally curly community grows in size, and as we continue to encourage each other and curly strangers to embrace what nature gave them. It's somewhat of a numbers game: the more often kids are taught to embrace what nature/God gave them, the more seats in classrooms will be filled with kids showing their curls. It will reach a tipping point one day such that it will be viewed not as a distraction, but as one of several norms IMO. Until then, reading the same version of this story over and over fills me with rage.

ashkins09

This is sad. Her hair is beautiful. Not sure I'd the school board has any colored adults but more and more kids are being discriminated on being natural. There was no problem until she started to get bullied. Obviously the teachers aren't doing any punishment on them. More kids are being home schooled nowadays because of bullying. Not sure it'll do any good to send the teachers and whoever has a problem to court. Her mother needs to taker her out of that school. If this is gonna be like this when I have kids and mine get bullied due to not having straight hair they're not gonna like what I got to say. I wonder if there's a petition made for discriminating hair and color.

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curlicious13

That's so sad. I hope the family sues whoever did this.

kolochita

So natural color is a must, but what about texture? How is she to be blamed for the hair that grows on her head? How does that make her responsible for the teasing she might get? It's a really ridiculous position for a school to take

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lovebonita

I think what makes me the most angry are the comments left on this article.

When I was a kid, especially her age, my hair defied all attempts to make it "neat"-ponytails, wearing it down, curls-they all ended up in an afro larger than hers by mid-morning. I never got expelled or threatened with expulsion by staff/faculty. I definitely got teased, as most of us with curly hair do, but that was the extent.

People need to realize that someone else's version of "neat" and "acceptable" is damn near impossible

wavydaze

::sigh::

I went to both private and Catholic schools in Florida. This is the same old tune.

Let's face it. Her hair is natural. And it's awesome! (But her hair's sheer awesomeness is beside the point). The point is: the South loves homogeneity. White homogeneity.

I hated every minute of it.


I remember at my private school, men weren't allowed to have facial hair or longer hair. A male classmate of mine was Sikh and kept in the tradition of not cutting his hair. The school basically harassed him until he left the school.

This **** makes me so mad. It's just sheer ignorance and intolerance.

scotlandroad

Christian school bullying someone for what God gave her. Ridiculous.

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Johari

Wth are you freakin serious!? Her hair doesn't look outa place or poorly done.
It reminds me of how my high school added more rules to their dress code. One was to wear an appropriate hair style!
Gladly im outa there but maybe there meant nothing distracting like crazy colors, a mohawk or fizzy untamed hair? It was a public school but still………like guys were no longer allowed to wear tank tops esp with long slits on the side since it was "inappropriate & a distraction"

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Puertoricangirl

That is horrible! She has beautiful natural hair and loves it! Why would someone want to change that?!?! I would just take her out of the school that honestly is ridiculous her curls are what God gave her!

sheilacurl

Yay! She's no longer going to be expelled!

*Update! Florida Girl No Longer Going To Be Expelled from School for Natural Hair | Word On Da Street

Samanthascurlz

What I love most is that the young girl doesn't see her hair as a problem. She could have gone home, 'fixed her hair,' and continued on, but she didn't. Her fighting back is admirable.

LADYSTB

While a private institution has rules and by means has the right to enforce those rules. I need to know what it says specifically in the school's handbook and the exact language it uses to describe what is a distraction.
If you are going to potentially expel or make this threat to my child you better be specific down to the peas in back kitchen about how my child can wear her hair. How big can hair be?how curly? Does it need to fall between the 6-8 inch in length? Can it be s-shape or z shaped curl pattern?
This girl happens to have big hair and that's it. Yes she could wear a ponytail or bun everyday but for the school year you allowed her to wear it like this and you can't say your didn't notice. Her teachers saw her everyday ..did any of them make a complaint about her hair being distracting in class?

Lastly my question to the school is...So what are you going to do about the teasing and bullying and your pupils intolerance to differences?

Korkscrew

Without understanding the nuances of this school's policies, and without having a more refined understanding of their overall school culture, there's still some clear evidence that those in charge of this school have taken leave of their senses.

The very fact that the dress code rules were so very vague (as stated by the school, in written ink), shows that the threat of disciplinary action over a student's naturally long hair worn out, was all the more politically expedient (and ludicrous).

This might make someone mad, but as for how the school moves forward exhibiting tolerance? ... Sorry but I spent most of my youth in religious schools and conformity is the overwhelming theme. So, there will always be some expectation that the student body conform to some set of arbitrary rules based on the school's version of a "Godly" life, or (in this case) "Christian values", all of which are, of course, highly subjective and inherently exclusive.

CatitudeBoo

She could use some LI or product. Stat. Am I the only one who noticed how dry it looks? I see no curls but a lot of curl potential. Maybe if it wasn't so unruly looking the school wouldn't be saying it was a "distraction". ,

dixygirl

This makes me very angry. They tell us not to use straighteners then when we don't they tell use we have to cut our hair off. There is nothing wrong with that girls hair at all! It does not need to be changed. I like her hair. In fact I am JEALOUS! I wish my hair was that big. I absolutely HATE THIS! Yet another case of certain types saying it's my way or the highway. Curlies who want to mandate use of only one curly modality and want to dictate what products I can and can not use on MY HAIR are just as bad in my opinion. I honestly don't know which case of my way or the highway is worst.

DaniGirl88

That poor girl. I don't understand the thought behind expelling a child because of their hair.

AngelaE8654

sheilacurl wrote: »

You wouldn't want to deal with me if I was her mom.

African-American girl faces expulsion over 'natural hair' | Latest News - Home

So instead of showing her it's good to appreciate the beauty she has, they do their best to make her think that something about herself is "not acceptable"??? Unbelievable.

CurlyDiva71

Just what exactly is wrong with this little girl's hair? It's gorgeous! I am so glad her mom supports her and that at her young age she seems to understand that there is nothing wrong with her natural hair. If having big hair is a distraction to the other kids, then there is something wrong with them and their parents for not teaching them that not everyone's hair is stick straight and blonde, and also for not teaching them that it is wrong to bully people.
What the school fails to understand is that the problem is not the girl's hair. The problems is the bullies, and they should be facing disciplinary action, not her! They are basically blaming the girl for the actions of the bullies. She shouldn't have to change because some parents don't teach their kids how to behave!

Also, I realize I am way late to this discussion, and that she did not get expelled, but it still made me mad that it happened at all, and I had to comment.

AuNaturallee

Her hair is beautiful, I would sue the pants off that school.

Curlygirl506

That is ridiculous!!!!!

DorothyDalt

The person telling me that about my child would find chunks of their hair being pulled out by the roots. :angry6: