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Bold Hair Hues Lead to Suspension for 6th-Grader
Filed under: In The News, Tween Culture
Turns out parents best not encourage their kid to express herself with hair color -- or at least they need to read the school handbook before heading to the salon with their tween or teen.
When Stephanie Plato showed up to school with the cool new hair color her mom got her as a present for her 12th birthday, it cost her two days of school, according to ABC affiliate KTRK.com.
The Texas sixth-grader's cool new "do" of red and blonde highlights streaked through her naturally light brown hair earned her an in-school suspension.
"I was shocked," Stephanie's mother Jessica Leyer tells KTRK. "They said she had to go to ISS (in-school suspension) or she had to go home, so I took her home because I didn't want her to sit in ISS for her hair color."
Officials at Cobb Elementary in the Channelview, Texas school district say the red highlights violated the student code of conduct. But Stephanie's mom says she never intended to violate the rules.
"I think it is bright, and it is brighter than we intended," Leyer tells KTRK. "But, I don't think it is a distraction or that kids won't be able to sit and concentrate in class because of her hair."
Meanwhile, sixth-grader Plato says the red and blonde streaks were a big hit with her classmates.
"They said they liked it and it was cute," the student tells KTRK. She adds that she wanted the hair streaks for her birthday "because they're cool."
But cute came with a cost. Plato was not allowed back into school until her hair was once again streakless. She had to color it a dark brown to hide the red and blonde, says her mom.
This is not the first time hair coloring caused a stir at school.
Last August, four San Antonio high school students, including honor student Damaris Duarte, received in-school suspensions for hair color, according to WOAI.com.
"There's a girl in my first period who has pink hair and I don't think it's fair I have to change it when I've had it the same way for four years and she has bright pink hair and she gets to keep it," Damaris tells WOIA.
As for Stephanie Plato and her mom Jessica Leyer, they have been schooled when it comes to hair styles. "Read the handbook," Leyer tellsKTRK.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 14)
2-16-2011 @ 6:19PM
Alicia said...I fail to see what the issue is. Yes, the red is bright, but it's still a shade that could occur in nature and it's not like it is hurting anyone. Seems like a silly thing to take a child out of class for. My mom let me get red highlights (in blonde hair) for my twelfth birthday, too and I was never given problems. Though my district had a rather liberal dress code, so long as there were no spaghetti straps or micro-mini skirts.
Reply
2-17-2011 @ 11:38AM
Alicia said...@Donna-It's not like she's wearing midriff-bearing shirts. It's hair! It's not teaching her to dress inappropriately. Plenty of successful businesswomen have highlights and dye their hair.
2-17-2011 @ 2:20PM
msavage51977 said...You really have to watch your kids Http://www.childrenshealthsecrets.com every single minute to keep them safe!
2-17-2011 @ 5:06PM
GJSly said...Why would any parent think it appropriate to allow a 12 year old girl to dye streaks in her hair? What's next? Breast enhancement surgery?
2-17-2011 @ 5:07PM
virginia tucker said...I know our school district sends out a booklet each year explaining dress codes. Parents have to sign it for their child to be admitted to class. If you disagree, don't sign it. But don't sign it and think the rules don't apply to your child.
2-17-2011 @ 5:12PM
Alicia said...Prime example of slippery slope, there, GJSly. Where I come from, that's called a logical fallacy and it's a fallacy for a damn good reason. Comparing a simple, fun, temporary whim like highlights to an invasive, permanent surgery is ridiculous.
2-17-2011 @ 5:15PM
Kathy Murray said...Oh for heavens sakes leave this girl alone! I wore 'odd' colored hair to school in the 5th grade! It's not like her hair is blue or green!
2-17-2011 @ 5:22PM
jw said...You must be a liberal there girl! No concept of what is right or wrong. Typical!
2-17-2011 @ 5:34PM
Bob said...OH.... so it is OK for blacks to wear dread locks... corn rows... and afros.... but a white kid can't put a streak of color in her hair...BULL S--t !!!!!
2-17-2011 @ 5:45PM
ronster1954 said...It was kind of cute...
2-17-2011 @ 5:59PM
Gail said...I completely agree with you, I was expecting some bright pink or purple when I read the link to this story. This color is quite tame and it looks fine on her. I think she's a little young for hair color but that's her mom's problem, not mine.I think suspension is a huge over reaction by the school district. Ridiculous.
2-17-2011 @ 6:25PM
CL said...JW ayou must be a republican. think you can tell everyone else what to do, how to act and how to dress. How typically communist.
2-17-2011 @ 6:59PM
Fred said...You fail to see the issue because you are blind. I am a teacher and it is painfully obvious we absolutley must STOP tolerating the foolishness. There is no end to it. Schools exist to give kids an education. American schools have become fasion-show social events where kids gain self esteem but can't add two plus two without a calculator or put WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War in chronoligical order, nor give you even a remote idea of the issues involved. They cannot write legibly or intelligbly. As a result, we produce fewer and fewer engineers and doctors and must import them from foreign lands. Some of those people have foreign value systems that conflict with our foundational ideals and it is dangerous to have them here.
2-17-2011 @ 6:48PM
robin said...it's not even THAT noticeable. Some kids as well as adults dye their hair more bodly than this girl did.
2-17-2011 @ 7:06PM
Alicia said...@Fred- It terrifies me that you consider people with different belief systems dangerous, yet you're a teacher. Also, thanks, but I've only been out of high school three and a half years and maybe kids in your district are idiots, but the people I graduated with were incredibly intelligent, as are the adults I'll be graduating with in 2 1/2 semesters. People can enjoy expressing themselves via their appearance without being idiots and I pity your students for having so close-minded and judgmental a teacher.
2-17-2011 @ 7:24PM
Hogs said...You don't see what the issue is? The girl is 12 years old and still growing. Still has young hair, why ruin it with dyes?
2-19-2011 @ 1:46AM
Clarissa said...@Fred
Since when do schools have the right to tell a parent how their child should wear their hair outside of the school setting. Clothing limits I can understand, but hair style limits, NO! The kid is only in school for a short while. If the TEACHER can't handle his or her class because a kid got a new hair style, then perhaps that teacher should not be teaching!
If I allow my daughter to get colored streaks, or straighten her hair that is MY prerogative and ANY teacher or school administrator that tries to tell me other wise can go straight to hell. I pay for my child, not them. When YOU start paying for my child and raising her then you can have a say about what she wears and how her hair is done. Other wise you need to shut up and do your job UNBIASEDLY!
2-17-2011 @ 9:44AM
Inadequate Wife said...Although I wouldn't be inclined to let my daughter color her hair that way, I don't see anything really wrong with it. Any distraction incurred as a result will last a day or two, and then the kids will move on to something else to talk about. It's just one more thing for the school to exert control over, much like just about everything else!
Reply
2-17-2011 @ 3:52PM
sharon said...I'm not against it either but if its a "rule" in the dress code or something like that it should be followed. But in saying that the girl with pink hair should also hae to follow the rules I don't care how long its been. I don't think it has to do with disrupting the class I think it has more to do with if this is ok to break the rules then another a little sstranger will be pushed and so on. Its simply a point that shouldn't be crossed.
2-17-2011 @ 5:06PM
MARY said...DONNA ARE YOU KIDDING? craaaazzzyyyyyyyyyyyy much????lol