Boy gets in school suspension for long hair

Lyra Jean · Aug 24, 2010

It's a video story.

12-year old boy gets in school detention until he cuts his hair. He hasn't cut his hair for about 2 years.

I think the school is going a little overboard. But the video didn't say if it was a private school or a public school. The code of conduct does say that boys cannot have hair below their collar. His hair is about shoulder length.

Your thoughts?

jennontheisland · Aug 24, 2010

Arbitrary dress code that serves no purpose.

Zoombie · Aug 24, 2010

Yeah, I'm gonna say the school is being stupid.

brainstorm77 · Aug 24, 2010

My guess is it's a private school. If it is they can enforce whatever dresscode they want, even if it's a stupid one.

I went through the public system the only think I can remember was no short skirts, low cut tops, shirts or anything advertising alcohol, or anything deemed offensive like a shift with Fuck You, written on it.

Lyra Jean · Aug 24, 2010

The mother was saying that girls could wear their hair as long as they want it and it is not considered a distraction.

veinglory · Aug 24, 2010

I am not sure it is the schools job to enforce conservative gender norms. Dress codes to exclude near nudity or gang colors are fine, but this is silly. Of course if it is a private school perhaps enforcing conservative gender norms is part of the package.

kuwisdelu · Aug 24, 2010

SPMiller · Aug 24, 2010

Huh? When I was in public school in the 90s and early 00s, long hair on males was universally disallowed. As were tattoos, piercings, certain types of clothing, shorts, unnatural hair dyes, certain hair styles, facial hair, and just about whatever else you care to think of that a Baby Boomer social conservative might brand "edgy" or "liberal" or "counterculture".

Shadow_Ferret · Aug 24, 2010

Get a haircut and get back in school, punk.

Don · Aug 24, 2010

Ah, memories.

First protest movement, first time I got kicked out of school, first time I met someone from the ACLU, first time I got to know a real lawyer, first time I met the school board, last time I saw a school board cower from the threat of an ACLU lawsuit, the end of the dress code. The foundation of my belief that you can change the world if you try.

Those were the good old days.

Icedevimon · Aug 24, 2010

This is just sad. I really wish him the best of luck. It isn't even that long yet <.< If it is private school, maybe he could go to public school. If it's public school, I can't really see the policy holding up in court...

Smileycat · Aug 24, 2010

School rule needs to be changed. Until it is, children and their parents should follow the rules.

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 24, 2010

brainstorm77 said:
My guess is it's a private school.

It's a public school. The rule is sexist. There are boys at my daughter's middle school with hair far longer than that kid's.

SPMiller · Aug 24, 2010

Lol. Where were you people a decade ago? I wouldn't have gotten sent home so often.

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 24, 2010

SPMiller said:
Lol. Where were you people a decade ago?

Um, I went to school in the 70s and long hair on boys was allowed. Don't assume that your experience in the 90s was universal.

SPMiller · Aug 24, 2010

It was near universal, at least in the Dallas area.

Sheryl Nantus · Aug 24, 2010

Looks like the mother is setting him up for a life of misery.

Cut the darned hair - it'll grow back during the summer and he'll survive.

Considering he was *already* suspended at the end of last year's school session it seems the mother is bound and determined to make a mountain out of a molehill for her own personal reasons.

Violating his rights? Really? This is the mountain you want to fight a civil rights suit on? Get on the school board, mom, and change the policy. Sending your kid to school and having him suspended on the first day is *so* going to help his education.

What a joke.

Zoombie · Aug 24, 2010

Whoa, I was able to hit page up and down and DL and SP's posts changed, but their avatars stayed in the exact same position. That was trippy.

Oh. Right. My friend, Jay, had to deal with this shit growing up too.

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 24, 2010

SPMiller said:
It was near universal, at least in the Dallas area.

I could see this sort of restriction being popular in the south. I'm in Michigan, where long hair is just part of keeping warm.

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 24, 2010

Sheryl Nantus said:
Looks like the mother is setting him up for a life of misery.

Cut the darned hair - it'll grow back during the summer and he'll survive.

Considering he was *already* suspended at the end of last year's school session it seems the mother is bound and determined to make a mountain out of a molehill for her own personal reasons.

Violating his rights? Really? This is the mountain you want to fight a civil rights suit on? Get on the school board, mom, and change the policy. Sending your kid to school and having him suspended on the first day is *so* going to help his education.

What a joke.

Really? I kind of admire that she's letting him stand up against a blatantly sexist rule. If the school said my middle school daughter had to wear dresses, there is no way I'd make her. For crying out loud, it's a public school. What business to they have enforcing a sexist hair code?

Where is the harm in long hair?

Shadow_Ferret · Aug 24, 2010

Hats keep you warm, not long hair.

And the way for this school to get past this stupid argument is to make everyone wear a uniform and have the same hair length for boys and girls.

KTC · Aug 24, 2010

meh. i got kicked out of 2 schools back in the 80s. because of hair/dress. there was no media ripple.

the kid should NOT cut his hair to get back into school...that would be atrocious. he should find another school or fight for the right to keep his hair. it's so ludicrous. sexist hair codes are so infuckingfuriating.

Don · Aug 24, 2010

Devil Ledbetter said:
Really? I kind of admire that she's letting him stand up against a blatantly sexist rule. If the school said my middle school daughter had to wear dresses, there is no way I'd make her. For crying out loud, it's a public school. What business to they have enforcing a sexist hair code?

Where is the harm in long hair?

I'll quote a statement by a wise man that I saw in another thread.

Devil Ledbetter said:
They make these demands for the exact same reason I make my dog lie on the floor and wait until I say "yes" before he can approach his food dish - they're reinforcing who's in charge.

Fullback · Aug 24, 2010

I was the first person in my high school to be kicked out for having long hair in 1968. I lost that battle and am surprised that the battle has to be waged anymore.

Now, I'm losing the battle against losing my hair.

jennontheisland · Aug 24, 2010

Shadow_Ferret said:
Hats keep you warm, not long hair.

Oh yeah? Shave your legs next winter and tell me if you notice the difference in how cold your legs get.

Boy gets in school suspension for long hair

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