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."
This child's situation is the opposite - he is not being told to modify a universally popular hairstyle, but a gimmick hairstyle that was barely ever in fashion and crested in popularity a quarter-century before he was born.
The mother is a headcase, and she's messing with her kid's mind.
Exactly! It seems the public schools want to take out individuality at an early age.
And then there are exceptions... if you are gay or trans-gender -- that is perfectly acceptable and must be celebrated. If you are conservative and Christian -- you must be a hateful person with a closed mind...
And with the schools worrying about nonsense like this, is it any wonder why our little pupils are falling behind the world?
Amen. We sit and bitch and moan about public schools, then side with the little darlings at every turn.
My daughter gave my 2 yr old grandson a similar haircut & I was so upset. I said why on earth would you do that to him?....IMHO my daughter was just being her usual different self but to carry it on to the baby I wasn’t pleased. However he did look cute for the short time he had it. Seems his daddy wasn’t happy with it & he went & got his head shaved. Personally I think public schools have more to worry about then haircuts.
We have GOT to get over silly things like kids’ hair styles.
What a waste of time.
While I agree with your assessment of the mom, I gotta say that hippy hair and afros and even shaved heads all are about “attention”.
It’s also possible the kid saw it and said “COOL! MOM I WANT ONE!” and the mom found no reason to stop it. An finding a public school to be out of line on it’s control isn’t exactly at odds with a lot of people on this forum.
Looking at the pic, he’s got a conservative (socially) haircut. It just happens to be a conservative mohawk.
You crazy, whacked-out liberal! /s
It’s actually pretty common here in West Michigan. And W. MI is quite conservative.
It’s just a hair style.
Tell the kid to wear a hat at school. There, fixed it.
Oh what the heck.
"Moon over Parma, bring my love to me tonight.
Guide her to Cleveland, underneath your silvery light.
We’re going bowlin’ so don’t loose her in Solon. Moon over Parma, tonight!"
Kid probably doesn’t have school today! I gotta go dig out my car! Snowin’ like crazy on the East side of the Valley!
Mom was warned. No excuse. As for no father? Who knows? Kid might be from a previous marriage.
“a two foot beehive....”
Choke, snort, chuckle...
Makes you think of something from The Far Side, doesn’t it?
>>It seems like the principal wants to include tastefulness and stylishness into her definition of grooming<<
Honestly, yes. This is a charter school. They demand and can, because if you don’t like it, you can leave.
My daughter was in a charter here in MI. The dress code was allowed to slip. Suddenly, different colors of hair and ultra short tops became standard. Then a big talk was had with the parents. A reminder that they have a dress code and what was expected or the children would be suspended. My daughter had blue shoes and I shoe polished them black at that point. I wanted her there. Parents were drive 20 minutes every morning to get their kids in that school. They made the rules and if you wanted your kid to get a decent education, you stuck by them.
IMHO Such haircuts and outrageous appearances are a good thing. It's always very helpful when you can identify stupid people just by looking at them, and you don't even have to speak to them first.
It’s a school, not a freaking fashion show for self-absorbed parents and kids.
Since this is a charter school, do they have the right to monitor haircuts and clothing?
Aw, she should just claim “native American” status and bust ‘em for discrimination.
>>Kid might be from a previous marriage<<
That’s what I thought.
And thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Good luck cleaning that Global Warming out of your driveway!
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