Posted on 02/27/2008 4:56:15 AM PST by E Rocc
PARMA, Ohio -- A kindergarten student with a freshly spiked Mohawk haircut has been suspended by school authorities who said the hair was a distraction for other students.
Michelle Barile, the mother of 6-year-old Bryan Ruda, said nothing in the Parma Community School handbook prohibits the haircut, characterized by closely shaved sides with a strip of prominent hair on top.
"I understand they have a dress code. I understand he has a uniform. But this is total discrimination," she said. "They can't tell me how I can cut his hair."
An administrator at the suburban Cleveland charter school first warned Barile last fall that the haircut wasn't acceptable. The school later sent another warning to her reiterating the ban.
Mohawks violate the school's policy on being properly groomed, school Principal Linda Geyer said. Also, the school district's dress code doesn't mention Mohawks, but it does allow school officials to forbid anything that interferes with the conduct of education.
Ruda's hair became a disruption on Thursday when Ruda arrived freshly shorn, Geyer said. Administrators called Barile on Friday telling her to pick Ruda up from school.
"This was his third infraction," Geyer said Tuesday. "We felt that we were being extremely patient."
Rather than request a hearing to appeal the suspension, Barile said she'll enroll him at another school. Changing the hairstyle is not an option, she said.
"It's something that he really likes," Barile said. "When people hear Mohawk, they think it's long, it's spiked, it's crazy looking, and it's really not."
Oh thank you!!!!
Snow Road. It was driving me nuts!
You’d think I’d remember after the amount of times I walked up to Southland!
The mother signed a contract to send her child to that school. She had a choice not to.
If I signed a contract and did not understand or disregarded the clause that stated that basically the rules can change at any time, do you think I would have a leg to stand on in court? No.
This mother chose to send her child to that charter and signed the contract. Period.
It’s Snow Road!
Runs right through Parma. Amrap is off Snow.
I always thought it was okay because most times it changed when one when from West numbered streets to East numbered streets.
THEN I moved up here to MI. OMG, we have mile streets that change to names for no apparent reason. Just different cities call them different things. It would be like going from Brook Park, to Middleburg Hts to Berea and having the street names change in each suburb. Man it’s tough up here.
Add the Michigan turn arounds and the idea that a highway turns to a six lane street (stop lights, the whole deal) then back to a highway is wild!! Kind of like traveling down 71 and having having the stretch through Strongville be Pearl Road then it becomes I-71 again.
I want to go home.
Not in a charter.
My great nephews go to a charter not far from Parma. They are using the same curriculum that most homeschooling parents use. Like Saxon for Math.
The mom agreed to let the administration dictate the rules when she signed the contract to get her son in. There are waiting lists for those spots. Someone else will come and follow the rules. And be d!mn glad to be out of Cleveland Public. Cleveland proper borders Parma.
Mohawks where we live are a dime a dozen. It's considered fashionable. Our sons have never had mohawks, but I don't find mohawks objectionable. I can't imagine the other kids picking on this one for his hairstyle.
Was that story posted here on FR? I'd like to see it.
Charter schools are funded by taxpayers, too. Thus, charter schools are part of the public school system. She may not be forced to send her child there, but she’s forced to pay for it, as a taxpayer.
You’re right. Our sons have never had mohawks, but many other children do. If this boy went to school wearing a dress, not only would it be considered acceptable, the school would probably plan lessons about tolerating it.
Agreed 100%, and excellent points from all three of you. I can’t believe what I’m reading here, either. People are trashing this woman and her child over a simple haircut. Mohawks are a popular hairstyle for kids. None of my sons have ever worn one, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
You’d think I’d remember after the amount of times I walked up to Southland!Southland's kind of dumpy these days, just like Southgate (my equivalent). Right after I quit working in the 'Ville they finally built the mall. Actually called "South Park Mall".
I think they changed the name because they were getting too many calls looking for Eric Cartman.
-Eric
but she’s forced to pay for it, as a taxpayer.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From the perspective of taxpayer, I completely agree. While charters do give the parent more choice, it is only a marginal measure of freedom.
If our existing system of government schools were turned entirely into charters, those parents without the means to home or privately school would still be forced ( by the government) to march to the government charter drum beat.
The entire government system of education, kindergarten through graduate school, is a freedom of conscience abomination!
Taxpayer funded government education and freedom of conscience and First Amendment Rights can not coexist.
“South Park Mall”!!!
*snicker*
Honestly, they are not trashing the woman over the haircut as much as they are for....
She signed a contract to get into the school, In that contract it states that the rules of the school could change per the whim of the administrator. That’s how charters work.
The rules changed, no mohawks
She was warned three times that she is breaking her contract.
Go before Judge Judy and tell her that you don’t like the rule in a contract YOU signed and she will ask you, “Are you on medication?”
And NO, a dress would not be acceptable in a charter school.
I’m just not getting why this is all so hard. It has less to do with the haircut than the contract. See?
they may not be trashing the woman, but it sure seems like the majority of freepers are--- that is the problem i have. we all get that she had a contract with the school, and that if she wants her kid in that school that she has to play by the rules....but she is not a bad mother because she let her kid get a mohawk, or wear a harley davidson t-shirt!
I agree with you there.
We all have different tastes. (they should just be for summer in this school)
“Why should either of your opinions matter one bit?”
Specious statement. What’s the big deal? I’m just incidentally stating that I hate those hats; they’re ugly and dopey. Didn’t say anything about banning them. And it’s absurd to suggest it has anything to do with the cultural rules of Moslems.
As for ettiquette, don’t dismiss it so glibly with your quotation marks.
There are good reasons for ettiquette. They’re not all simply to be “snobby”. In fact, they’re meant to keep people from offending each other and showing “attitudes”.
Have you read many of the comments? She is being trashed for the haircut, her surname, her suspected marital status (or lack thereof), etc. And it all began with a simple, very common haircut.
I’m just not getting why this is all so hard. It has less to do with the haircut than the contract. See?
If this were a private school, I'd agree with you. This isn't a private school. Charter schools are taxpayer-funded. They are operated by private companies, but in reality they are public schools.
And NO, a dress would not be acceptable in a charter school.
You may have found a conservative charter school you like, but there are plenty of very liberal charter schools out there.
>>Have you read many of the comments? She is being trashed for the haircut, her surname, her suspected marital status (or lack thereof), etc. And it all began with a simple, very common haircut. <<
This is FR. People get on a roll. It may not be right, but it happens
>>If this were a private school, I’d agree with you. This isn’t a private school. Charter schools are taxpayer-funded. They are operated by private companies, but in reality they are public schools. <<
It doesn’t matter that they are publicly funded, a parent agrees to sign a contract and that is binding.
>>You may have found a conservative charter school you like, but there are plenty of very liberal charter schools out there.<<
There are nearly 250 charters here in MI. Not a single one would allow a boy in a dress. It’s a standardized dresscode.
And I homeschool so it’s isn’t One charter I found that I like. I like what they offer for those who feel they need a school building for education.
It doesn’t matter that they are publicly funded, a parent agrees to sign a contract and that is binding.
A private school should reserve the right to set any standards they choose. But, a charter school should not be permitted to be as stringent as a private school. Charter schools are public schools. The federal, state, and local governments forcibly take money from taxpayers to fund them. Lawsuits challenging charter school dress codes have resulted in students being readmitted.
I can understand reasonable standards. But, if parents want stricter standards and to deny other taxpayers admission based on dress code, those parents should pay their own children's tuition to a private school.
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