The Latest In "Zero Tolerance": Sent Home From High School For "Disruptive" Hair Color
I'd say what's disruptive is the fact that this 15-year-old got sent home from school over her hair color.
From the Daily Mail, Ashley Collman writes:
A 15-year-old girl was sent home on the first day of high school last week because her red hair was too 'distracting' to other students.However, Muscle Shoals High School sophomore Hayleigh Black says she's been dying her head bright red for the past three years and no one at the school has complained before.
...Hayleigh's mother Pam Boyd said she got a call less than 30 minutes after dropping her daughter off on the first day of school - before Hayleigh even made it to homeroom.
Administrators allegedly sent multiple students home that day for distracting hair colors, which is violates a student handbook rule against 'distracting' or 'disruptive' hair styles.
Boyd says she knows about the rule, but didn't think her daughter was in violation since she's never been sent home for her red hair before.
'I told the principal, I said, '"You were her assistant principal last year. How come you never sent her home last year?" It's the same color as always,' Boyd told ABC.
"Disruptive" hair styles? Sure, maybe if you have live snakes wriggling around on your head.
Seems the latest in administrators proving they have power over the students.
via ifeminists
The REAL reason: she was a Ginger, and they were afraid she'd suck the souls out of other students like jello through a straw.
Of COURSE it makes no sense, but educational policy never usually does these days. . .
Keith Glass at August 19, 2014 5:48 AM
If I ran the school I would have sent her home too.
I can not stand badly colored hair and bad makeup. Girls with racoon eyeliner? Sent home. Girls with too much mascara? Home. Girls with caked on foundation? Home. Boys with too much cologne? Home. Your roots showing ? Home. Bad dye job? Home.
I would be an admitstrative fashion monster.
Ppen at August 19, 2014 6:33 AM
I came home from work yesterday to find my daughter in the midst of a pink hair dye in prep for her first day in 5th grade tomorrow.
Dwatney at August 19, 2014 6:36 AM
"Administrators allegedly sent multiple students home that day "
They might not have had a problem with her hair, but with the others, but can't answer why hers is ok but theirs wasn't. Could have also been she was starting a trend that they wanted to nip in the butt.
Joe j at August 19, 2014 7:07 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/08/19/the_latest_in_z.html#comment-4956656">comment from PpenI would be an admitstrative fashion monster.
I heart Ppen.
Amy Alkon at August 19, 2014 9:15 AM
The problem isn't the hair color. Make a rule, or don't. Make a rule about eyeliner. Whatever, it doesn't matter.
But if you have a rule, make it real. As soon as it is a rule, advertise it, then enforce it, and make it known that it is A Rule To Be Followed.
The arbitrariness of it is what pisses people off. It's the same problem as everywhere else. All of us are breaking rules that we might know are rules -- but if nobody enforces them then it gets our dander up, rightfully, when someone pulls out the rule book and starts writing tickets.
flbeachmom at August 19, 2014 9:42 AM
What flbeachmom said. If it's a rule, enforce it evenly, across the board, all the time. If you start enforcing it selectively, that's when people get pissy. My guess is the school is making an example of everyone the first day/week of school. After next week it will barely be noticed by anyone. Stupid administrators.
sara at August 19, 2014 10:43 AM
Sure, maybe if you have live snakes wriggling around on your head.
You racist! Why do you hate Medusans?
Well, ok. There is that whole turn to stone thing...
I R A Darth Aggie at August 19, 2014 10:48 AM
I didn't realize that Ppen was a member of the Fascist Fashion Police. Papers for that dye job, please! mach schnell!
Of course, I'm a guy, so to me this is much ado about nothing much. It wasn't day glow orange, so I'm not seeing a problem.
I R A Darth Aggie at August 19, 2014 10:52 AM
Well, ok. There is that whole turn to stone thing...
Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at August 19, 2014 10:48 AM
_____________________________
Jay Williams, the multi-talented sci-fi writer, suggested in the 1970s that that was an exaggeration from a previous myth - that in the original, Medusa simply scared people "stiff as stone."
lenona at August 19, 2014 10:58 AM
Everyone I've met who attended a school requiring uniforms felt, casually but certainly, that they were a good idea.
I don't know precisely, because there are an overwhelming number of Children:Fuckit neuron pairs in my head... I just can't be made to care too deeply about kids and their corrals.
But we can imagine that a setting of education would work better, with reduced competitive distraction, if children could look around the room during difficult lessons and NOT get the feeling that other kids were bringing resources to the challenge which weren't available to everyone.
It's best not to worry that Janey's Dad has more money, so she'll skate through life whether she learns fractions or not. It's best not to worry that Roger is fashionable and charming, so he'll skate through life whether he learns quadratic equations or not.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 12:29 PM
This is ridiculous. My eldest changed her hair color every couple of weeks in high school. Not normal colors, either, but Manic Panic reds, blues, greens..... At first it was a "Look at me! I'm such a rebel!" Kind of thing. I just smiled and told her how cute she looked. After all, it's only hair.
I'm pretty sure her hair had zero effect on the other students. They got used to her changing and probably didn't even notice it any more than I did.
Kat at August 19, 2014 12:54 PM
First they came for the artificial dyed colours. Then they came for the Albinos. Then they came for the red-heads, then the blonds. Then the very long hair, very short hair and curly hair.
You fill in the rest...
EarlW at August 19, 2014 1:10 PM
> You fill in the rest...
Meaning: Then they came for the guys who use Rogaine....
Get it? Get it? Fill in the rest?
Tough room...
> My eldest changed her hair color every
> couple of weeks in high school.
Depends on the neighborhood. It would presumably be more disruptive on the prairie than in Queens.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 1:12 PM
But we can imagine that a setting of education would work better, with reduced competitive distraction, if children could look around the room during difficult lessons and NOT get the feeling that other kids were bringing resources to the challenge which weren't available to everyone.
Maybe, but if it's not the clothes, it will probably be something else: Bags, watches, phones, and the like. Which isn't to say uniforms might be a good idea in some schools, but short of Army basic training, eliminating that kind of competition is likely a lot tougher than it looks.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at August 19, 2014 1:26 PM
> Maybe, but if it's not the clothes, it
> will probably be something else:
Yes, cynicism, RightRightRight, you say that and I said it too...
Except that the kids who wore uniforms, in retrospect, have no problem with them. Do we want to flatter our own cynicism or get the best results?
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 1:35 PM
I mean, "eliminating that kind of competition" is isn't our goal at all.
First, you're right— We couldn't stop kids from being competitive if we wanted to.... It's human nature.
Second, we DON'T want to. All of civilization's progress comes from making competition work for us: Law is adversarial. Wall Street is a rat race. Love is a famously competitive marketplace. Medicine is about money and ego. Musicians scratch and claw their way up the BillBoard Hot 100 (etc.) In a few short years, we're going to turn these kids loose to compete with each other and everyone else, and for the rest of their live.
What a uniform (or a school rule about hair color) means: As long as we're paying to give you this education, we're not going to let your petty individualism interrupt the concentration of the classroom.
Is this really a crippling burden to your individuality? Because if that's all it takes to shatter your darling identity, it was probably too delicate to worry about anyway…
…Where's your homework?
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 2:02 PM
Except that the kids who wore uniforms, in retrospect, have no problem with them. Do we want to flatter our own cynicism or get the best results?
Posted by: Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 1:35 PM
I yearned for school uniforms. My mother had zero fashion sense, and with plenty of money managed to buy me the ugliest school clothes, and shoes imaginable.
She had grown up in the thirties, and the only thing that saves me from having to wear saddle oxfords was my bursting into tears at the shoe store.
I am afraid I over compensated with my daughter, but it was the result of being traumatized when I was young.
Isab at August 19, 2014 4:50 PM
'What a uniform (or a school rule about hair color) means: As long as we're paying to give you this education, we're not going to let your petty individualism interrupt the concentration of the classroom."
And when they get out into the real world and have to deal with everyone else's petty individualism, and haven't had any preparation to do so, then what?
"It's best not to worry that Janey's Dad has more money, so she'll skate through life whether she learns fractions or not. It's best not to worry that Roger is fashionable and charming, so he'll skate through life whether he learns quadratic equations or not."
Diana Moon Glampers, call your office, please.
Dwight Brown at August 19, 2014 5:33 PM
> And when they get out into the real
> world and have to deal with everyone
> else's petty individualism, and haven't
> had any preparation to do so, then what?
Do you really imagine that's possible?… That children won't experience the individuality of other human beings if, during school hours, they have to wear their natural hair color?
Do you really think schools can, or should, be such a controlled experience? That every component of the whole of life —illness, sexuality, work, warfare, taxation, friendship, betrayal, travel— could or should be presented to the child in a perfect, fractal simulacrum during each moment of education?…
…Or can we just say "no pink hair" and "no blue jeans" for five hours a day for nine months a year when the kid's in grade school?
I don't know who your Diana friend is.
Is it worth Googling?
Nah.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 5:52 PM
It must have been fun to have had a childhood where you never had to deal with fashion, or competition, or the individuality of others except when you were in school.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 5:53 PM
I'm a huge fan of uniforms. Easier, cheaper (if done right---unisex, widely-available uniforms like khaki bottoms and navy polos, not plaid jumpers only available in one store) and they have the psychological benefit of having the kids dress differently for work and play. If we lived in the United States of Jenny, primary schools would all have simple, cheap uniforms like polo and khakis and high schools would offer a choice to students--- khaki and polo, or business casual (except where inappropriate, obviously, like gym and shop class). You're in high school to prepare for the working world. The working world is plumb full of dress codes. You can express your individuality in hair and fashion choices on your own time.
(Honestly though, I think hair color is a silly thing to bring down the hammer on. A work-appropriate look can still be done with unnaturally-colored hair, if it's clean and neatly styled. I'd be apt to send some kids home for their hair being greasy or uncombed).
Jenny had a chance at August 19, 2014 7:23 PM
Tell us more about the United States of Jenny.
Low taxes for guitar enthusiasts, right?
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 19, 2014 8:23 PM
As someone whose boobs and butt are disproportionately large compared to the rest of her, I have to say FUCK NO to uniforms. They're designed for a certain body type, and if you don't have it the emphasize the fact.
High School sucks enough without preventing kids to dress for their bodies. JUST what I would have needed, a huge shirt that made me look 50 lbs heavier, or one that fit everywhere else but didn't button and so everyone would gloat about what a slut I was for daring to have big boobs.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
NicoleK at August 20, 2014 12:31 AM
Low taxes for guitar enthusiasts...and guitar-haters and those who pronounce it "gee-tar" with a hard "g" and people who are indifferent to guitars. Low taxes for everyone!
Just curious, Nicole, what school-appropriate style of shirt does work for your body type? Polo shirts don't have the "doesn't button" issue, and they are available in styles now (in the juniors and women's departments) that don't add 50 pounds to everyone with a larger bust. Khakis are available in a bunch of different cuts and styles to accommodate those blessed in the booty department. I was an early, disproportionate bloomer myself and definitely get the problems that presents, but I think uniforms, if done right, can actually help that issue.
Jenny had a chance at August 20, 2014 5:08 AM
Polo shirts don't drape well over boobs and make me look pregnant even when I'm not. Polo shirts with khakis is such a horrible look for me... especially at one job when I was required to tuck in. Humiliating.
I like acetate shirts myself, a la travellers from Chicos. They skim the figure without clinging too much. I favor a thinner material, and something that looks good untucked, that falls over the top of my hips (not the widest part).
Uniforms, "if done right"... they can't be done right. By definition they are going to be cut to the most common figure, and look horrible on everyone else. They'll get rid of class/taste differences but accentuate body type differences.
I remember when I finished up a stint at a Catholic school, they were ordering uniforms designed for skinny white kids for these post-pubescent, very curvaceous black girls. The girls were crying as they tried on the uniforms, and I really felt for them. Uniforms are not cut with boobs and butts in mind.
NicoleK at August 20, 2014 10:31 AM
> NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Angel-- As Michael Jordan once said in a slightly different context: It ain't the shoes.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at August 20, 2014 10:33 AM
When I went to Catholic school, we had uniforms - white button-up dress shirt, navy pants (no denim or corduroy), dark shoes, and a navy or gray sweater on cooler days. Boys in the upper grades (7th & 8th) had to wear a solid navy or red tie. Where we bought them didn't matter as long as they matched those colors.
Girls' choices were more limited. They had to wear a plaid skirt of jumper (depending upon one's grade-level) in the school's chosen color scheme. Since they were not carried in stores, the girls had to purchase them through the school. Their uniform was rounded out with a white blouse, flat-heeled dark shoes or black-white saddle oxfords, white socks, and a navy or gray sweater for cooler days. These could be purchased anywhere. Skirt length was regulated by ruler-wielding nuns.
Conan the Grammarian at August 21, 2014 9:15 AM
"Years ago, when my children were small, an older mother taught me a lesson I never forgot: If you make a lot of rules, she said, it’s too easy for your kids to break one, and once they break one, the rules aren’t really rules. So keep the list short and absolute." ~ Susan Estrich
Conan the Grammarian at August 21, 2014 9:23 AM
Don't make rules about stupid things, even if they are regularly enforced. Children do not need to be micromanaged at every level. School is about education and picking on the fashion sense (or lack thereof) is not part of the school's responsibility. I would absolutely hate being told that I couldn't wear my hair a certain way because it's a form of self expression that is not vulgar or obscene.
kate at August 21, 2014 4:03 PM
This is what I imagine NicoleK saying:http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/nope.gif
kate at August 21, 2014 4:06 PM
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