Bold Hair Hues Lead to Suspension for 6th-Grader

by Mary Beth Sammons (Subscribe to Mary Beth Sammons's posts)
Feb 16th 2011 4:30PM

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.

Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!

ReaderComments (Page 5 of 14)

Add Your Comments

2-17-2011 @ 3:06PM

BAC said...

Just curious what the school would do if there was a red head who dyed her hair brown, leaving some of her natural red hair as streaks. Ha!

2-17-2011 @ 3:08PM

Sally said...

Wow, it seems the school needs to focus on other issues...I was a teacher for 24 years before retiring, and I can assure you that it is not the red hair that is an issue causing the lack of focus...it is the lack of sleep often caused by too many activities/phones/Facebook/video games ... and bad parenting ... and etc etc etc... A phone rang in my 5th grade classroom, and when I asked the kids who had the phone, one boy said, But it's my grandmother! ...

Another girl's phone rang and it was her dad...she said, I need to go into the hall to answer this...and I said, Sure, why not? This is only school.

This was a special ed student who did not need to miss one second of instruction.

and my little granddaughter would have a problem if red hair is not allowed! She has a beautiful shade of red hair! HA

2-17-2011 @ 3:10PM

Linda said...

I hope that applies to the school staff as well.
I can see it with the pink hair but the little girls red and blonde looked fine to me. The school should be more concerned with teaching and in stopping bulling.

2-17-2011 @ 8:34PM

saannie said...

This happened to my daughter back in the 90's when she was in middle school. She used some orange temporary haircolor for halloween one year needless, to say after she washed it, all of it didn't come out, so she went to school the next day with some of the color left in her hair, She to got ISS for her haircolor and we live in Georgia. I was furious because it was just temporary and would have washed out in a few short days. She was an honor role student at the time with no behavior problems. All the school did is teach her that you could not express yourself. To this day I don't see what her hair color hurt and all they taught her is that she started hating school. I wound up having to take her out of that school and put her into another one. This is so silly for picking on this girl just for a hair color. They need to focus on the kids who really cause problems in school, like the ones who bully other students,bring weapens, or drugs to school. I hope this mother sues the school system.

2-17-2011 @ 3:17PM

JOE said...

So i guess natural redheads aren't allowed in this school?

2-17-2011 @ 3:39PM

Yarrow said...

This is ridiculous. A few red streaks in her hair are nothing compared to what some kids wear to school. Have you looked at trends in girls clothing? Getting sluttier by the second, and its a shame. In my middle school, 6th grade is when everyone (except me) started using drugs and alcohol. Instead of engaging in those behaviors I started experimenting with my hair. My parents' take on it was "it's just hair. it'll grow back" i started adding streaks with kool-aide, and in high school my hair was red, green and blue at various times. If the school is so concerned with violations of a code, maybe they should be randomly drug testing their students. their focus would switch pretty fast when they learn a few red streaks in someones hair is the least of their worries

2-18-2011 @ 7:44AM

Bob said...

You are spot on. The issue of "distraction" is a smoke screen...we had people come to school pretty weird looking at times (back in the 70's). Yes, people gawked and snickered, but it was pretty much done when the bell rang. These things are an issue when we make them such, but if the teachers and parents who want to control others' kids make no issue, the matter will clear itself up...kids don't want negative attention from other kids. It will pass.

2-17-2011 @ 3:31PM

Margery said...

Good for that school. A mother already dressing her daughter like a whore.

2-17-2011 @ 3:48PM

kittyfriskywhiskers said...

Please tell me that you're not serious.................that comment was completely uncalled for. She's not wearing hot pants, lycra pants, faux fur jackets, etc.......nor do I see caked-on cosmetics, hair teased to the heavens, or any body parts half-hanging out/exposed. She's a little girl with a few streaks of color in her hair, color that is natural to many women -- unlike day-glo colors of pink, green, blue, etc...........good grief, and *I'm* called a prude! Some of you people are so uptight that you couldn't pull a needle out of your arse with a tractor.............as I said earlier, the key is moderation, and it looks like her mother is practicing it.

2-17-2011 @ 3:55PM

katie said...

I think Margery is a whore! That little girl is cute. Leave her alone!

Katie said...

I think Margery is a probably a whore so she's gotta pick on a 12 year old! Leave her alone, she's cute.

2-17-2011 @ 3:33PM

jbjg24m said...

its just damn hair coloring, it wil wash out eventually, shes twelve !

2-17-2011 @ 3:34PM

Rhea said...

Call me old fashioned but, 6th grade is too young to color hair...I dont think the suspension was necessary but I have to agree with the school district. What does a child have to look forward to if they are allowed to do adult or young adult things at this age. I have seen children as young as 5 with blond streaks in their hair, way too young...my child (who is grown with children of her own) was not allowed to do this until she was a junior in HS ... yes, I guess I am old fashioned but I dont believe in shorts or crop tops either in school... there are other things than coloring her hair that will make he happy...what will she want to do in 8th grade...think about it ..

2-17-2011 @ 4:32PM

stephanie said...

why is it that coloring hair at "that " age is wrong ? what about young girls who shave their legs and arm pits, or pluck their eyebrows? what does that make them? also the kid wanted to do it to "look cool", not be beautiful. of course she is beautiful ....everyone should hear that ... no matter who they are. anyone who spends time in the sun ends up with streaks in hair. (out doors in sun where a kid should be instead of inside w/video games. besides swimmers end up with bleached hair . some time it even turns green...think they dont dye it to get color different shade?
finally, this girl had to actully change hair to a different then her natural color to cover up streaks

Good point, Stephanie, the complaint by many is that she is too young to die (pun intended) her hair so the school now requires that she redye her hair to fix it...what a bunch of hypocrites. It is about control and who will have it over the kids....we parents need to draw a line in the sand.

2-17-2011 @ 3:57PM

Harold said...

Good for the school. They go to school to learn not show off there body parts!

2-17-2011 @ 4:20PM

Gee, I didn't realize that hair was considered a "body part". To think that all of this time, I've been running around indecently exposed to the whole world....@@

kboles4282 said...

I actually thought the hair looked rather tame compared to others I've seen. Personally...with all the problems in the world I don't think people should be stressing over a little individuality. It was a nice, cute, modest haircut. For goodness sakes...individuality is what makes the world interesting. If everyone was the same we would all be a bunch of clones. It would be truly boring! Cut the kids some slack. If the child is normally well mannered and does well what's the real problem? No wonder more kids go ballistic nowadays...they end up having to stress out about the stupidest things.

2-17-2011 @ 3:42PM

Thursday said...

I can't see where the highlighting was distracting but it was a cheesy job. It didn't look at all natural. Maybe that was the idea, I don't know.
I am a retired elementary school teacher. I do believe that the school overreacted. With all the pressures put on teachers now, that particular hair color was very low on the list of student infractions.

2-17-2011 @ 3:46PM

Denise said...

Though I think 12 is a bit young to start coloring hair, what is the big deal. She didn't shave her head shaved bald, have obscenities on her clothing, eyebrows, lips or tongue pierced. No one got injured or offended. I think these rules are sometimes taken to extremes.

Previous 20 Comments 3 456 7 Next 20 Comments

Hot on HuffPost Parents:

Bold Hair Hues Lead to Suspension for 6th-Grader