Haircut Prompts Controversy at Staten Island School

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts) Jun 2nd 2009 6:00PM

Teen's half-shaved head gets him sent home from school. Photo: Getty Images.

A Staten Island eighth-grader claims he was sent home from Barnes Intermediate School in Great Kills, N.Y. because he showed up for school with his head half-shaved.

Dennis Reynolds, 14, and his mother, Carmen Reynolds, say that an administrator told the student that his "hair cut wasn't good enough" and called his mother to come and get him. His absence caused him to miss the last review session prior to the state's social studies exam.

The school insists the whole kerfuffle is a misunderstanding, and a spokeswoman from the city's Education Department says the school called Dennis' mom just to see if she was aware of her son's new style. "The principal did not tell the parent to take the child home," said spokeswoman Margie Feinberg. "The parent decided to take him home. He slept at a friend's house and had his head half shaved. If he wanted to go to school like that, he could have."

Carmen Reynolds disagrees, claiming that that she was well aware of her son's new haircut, and that he spent the weekend sleeping in his own bed. "They're lying," she says. "I would never let my child sleep at a friend's house on a school night and why would I take him out of school first thing Monday morning when he has a state test the next day?"

The city Department of Education does have a Student Bill of Rights and Discipline Code that addresses inappropriate attire, but it doesn't say anything at all about guidelines for acceptable hairstyles. Dennis, who allegedly told school authorities that his half-and-half hair wasn't any different than a lip or eyebrow piercing, says an assistant principal kicked him out of his first-period math class.

The boy's mother says that kids do "all kinds of things" to their hair, and that she prefers Dennis' half-shaved head to wearing his pants hanging off his behind, which she "will not tolerate." All she wants, she adds, is for her son to be at school, where he belongs.

Would you believe that the exact same thing happened when I was in high school, back in 1988? One of my classmates showed up sporting a half-shaved head, and he was sent home. Our dean of students told him -- and the rest of us -- that his hairstyle would distract us from our academic pursuits. I think we held a sit-in on his behalf, or something. Next day? Kid showed up with a fully bald pate. Because that was less distracting. Yeah, right.

In this case, something doesn't add up. Did the school send him home? Did the mom yank him out of class? Either way, it's silly to let a teenager with a goofy haircut distract the whole school from their work, no matter who's the culprit. Heck, if goofy haircuts were a distraction, no one who went to school between 1980 and 1990 would have a high-school diploma.

Should schools have a hairstyle code of conduct? Or is this kind of stuff just a distraction?

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Comments (21)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

lancergirlaly6 6-03-2009 @ 5:55PM

wow thats reallyyy dumb!

Sue NH 6-02-2009 @ 8:58PM

Teachers are there to do just that ...teach
... some take their power too far.... It's ON THE KIDS HEAD.
HE's the one that has to put up with the comments of others. When he grows tired of the comments... he'll fix his hair.

Carolyn Anderson 6-02-2009 @ 9:20PM

I think in High School a dress code and general appearance should be addressed - but before the fact, not after - Mainly because we are trying to prepare these children for the business world - albeit, they will also go to college - In any event, if it wouldn't be tolerated in a business environment - then why should it be tolerated in school? What a child does or wears at home has nothing to do with school - but honestly a half shaved head? Mom needs a serious talk with her son -

Mindy 6-02-2009 @ 10:56PM

It should be tolerated in school because they're KIDS! For crying out loud, we may be preparing them for the business world someday, but while they are kids, for Gods' sake let them be kids. If he wants to walk around looking goofy with half a head of hair, why on earth should anyone else care?? Why would anyone waste one ounce of energy worrying about such a silly thing? Teach the kids about tolerance - that appearances shouldn't matter as much as we let them in this culture. Teach the kids how to learn, how to research, how to reason, how to experiment and how to THINK FOR THEMSELVES. If, at 14, that means he wants to shave half of his head, then good for him. Hair grows back. He is harming no one, and going through the process of figuring out who he is and how he wants to present himself to the world. Let him try on all the different versions of himself he needs to until he finds the one that fits. The teachers and administrators who guide, encourage and inspire our children through their learning, rather than focus on arbitrary rule enforcement, are the ones who truly enrich their lives.

Kacie 6-03-2009 @ 2:01AM

While i agree with your comment that they should be prepared for a business world how many of the kids will do that? Some will end up in a factory where it doesnt matter if you have half your head shaved, dyed your hair purple, have tattoos in so many places that all you see. They are kids, not adults. They have plently of time to be grownup later. That is the time to let them be creative and do diffrent things. Im not saying let them have tattoos or anything but they are children and we shouldnt stop them from doing something as harmless as having half a shaved head. He is a child not an adult let him be a child.

kim 6-02-2009 @ 9:49PM

If you ask me something is wrong with the mother. Children need guildence at that age, I'm sorry but he would not sit at my dinner table looking crazy like that! Let alone school.

sandtsbigdaddy 6-02-2009 @ 9:51PM

1st- no one will take responsibility. 2nd- The kid looked ridiculous so why make an issue? 3rd- The kid obviously did it for attention and they were too happy to oblige. 4th- That this rated as news-worthy? Finally, 5th-No, Obama is NOT to blame! We all know that someone will say it.

Gort 6-03-2009 @ 1:12AM

IT really IS Obama's fault. He took over from Bush when he asumed office. QED

jvbaseball099 6-02-2009 @ 11:02PM

Students go to school to LEARN and having dress codes, etc. are all witihin the schools rights and part of the learning process. This incident sounds a bit weird as to he said / she said but if the school deems it inappropriate, so be it. Employers will do the same thing later in life so in reality the school is doing it job by preparing the student for the real world and the work force. All of these liberal live and let live policies are why our kids are failing and our country as a whole is sorely lagging. Bring back higher standards, strict dress codes, strong discipline and the educations environment will greatly improve.

Karen 6-04-2009 @ 1:46PM

"All of these liberal live and let live policies are why our kids are failing and our country as a whole is sorely lagging." Really? I shaved half my head when I was 15, and I went to college, got a professional career, got married, and had a wonderful child. I run an international medical journal, instead of running other people's lives.

Groovin'Granny 6-02-2009 @ 11:23PM

The kids hair didn't look as bad as one might think. I have seen little boys in my children's schol in Pre-K wearing Mohawks. Some skinny Mohawks, some fat...but in Pre-K. No one bats an eye. Maybe because they are Fillippino and Spanish? My 13 year old son was campaigning for a local politician recently; and he got a haircut that had lots of angular parts patterend into it. When he got home from campaigning, I noticed his haircut was done over, very nicely. The same haircut, just cleaned up professionally. The politician had taken one look at my son's hair and taken him to his barber to have that haircut made over to look worthy. Now we have a new barber, lol. On the other hand, when I was 13, we were scheduled to go on a school trip and I wanted to look wordly-wise, so I took a scarf that matched my ankle length skirt, and twisted it into a fashionable knot at the back of my neck. It covered my entire head of hair and looked jazzy. The school adminstrators insisted that if I did not remove the scarf I could not go on the trip. I refused and resigned myself to missing the trip when all of a sudden the room filled up with all my classmates who had decided that if the school was going to keep me from the trip for wearing a tastefully done up scarf, then they just weren't going on the trip either. The school relented and we all got to go on our trip to see a foreign movie. Now mind you, this was in the 70's. Times really don't change much....

ross 6-02-2009 @ 11:09PM

actually the kid's haircut was rather well designed.
In any cause the school infringed on his civil rights, & I hope they are forced to make good.
As far as dress codes at schools---if you choose a private school & you know what that code is in advance of applying ,then you are agreeing to abide by the rules.
In public schools, as long as thier is no attempt at nudity or "underdressing" it's the kids business UNLESS it causes a provable distraction to the class. In that case there should be a panel to judge & not just one teacher or individual.

Mine 6-02-2009 @ 11:33PM

Wow, a haircut? So have him sit in the back of the class if it's a distraction. Unless he's hurting someone be happy he's coming to school. There are too many kids that just don't go to school. I am a male and had long hair when boys were supposed to have short hair. It's just what I wanted because I liked the style. I wasn't trying to make a statement, I wasn't hurting anybody. Big deal, worry about things that are permanent or may hurt somebody.

Gil 6-02-2009 @ 11:45PM

Stop teaching Socialisim in our schools.

Punkmuffin13 6-03-2009 @ 12:29AM

all through high school and middle school i changed my hair. At least 4 times a month it was different. I have had every color of hair there is from black to blond to pink to auburn. Honestly i think this is bull. The teachers are just trying to control everything. I have had many jobs and I got into school. If your a kid, be a kid, theyll grow out of something like this just like most of us did, and if not, theyll find something that will make them happy being themselves and not have to be a stiff that most people are telling them to be

dkpuma61 6-03-2009 @ 12:42AM

I think schools are not paying attention to the fact kids will be kids and be who they are. Haircuts is there way of being who they are not what they will be. We all did it and most have come out fine. But schools need to follow a dress code, boys dress slopey and the girls are dressing like sluts. Sorry short shorts, mini-mini-skirts are tacky, pants falling down by a belt whats the use inwearing one. Parents are more to blame on this than the schools & schools need to teach the parents the rules as well. Where is the family value, we have too many ignorant parents who dont care.

Natalie 6-03-2009 @ 4:16AM

rules are rules....if schools have a "code of conduct" then children and parents must live up to those rules. don't like it?? find another school.....what happened to self respect?

Karen 6-04-2009 @ 1:52PM

"The city Department of Education does have a Student Bill of Rights and Discipline Code that addresses inappropriate attire, *****but it doesn't say anything at all about guidelines for acceptable hairstyles.*****" Thus, the code does not apply here. If they want to amend the code to cover hairstyles, great; otherwise, the kid was not in violation.

Tim 6-03-2009 @ 5:18AM

Damn, Donald Trump walks around with a half of head of hair everyday and no one says a word because he's a millionaire.

Melissa 6-03-2009 @ 1:37PM

Wow, they kicked him out because of his hair?? My God, I changed my hair from the time I was sixteen up until....well, NOW (I'm 30) lol....I have been a blond, a redhead, a brunette, black hair, burgundy (red and purple) hair, everything you can imagine....and guess what? I had the same job from the time I was 17 until the place closed when I was 21! I have since had jobs that didn't like my visible piercings, but never said anytihng about my hair....as long as he shows up at school everyday, what the hell is the problem here? He's walking around with half his head shaved, he's the one that will have to deal with it if kids tease him....and he's 14, come one, 14 year olds do stupid things like that, it's part of growing up and being a teenager!

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