Hair color has become an issue (05/24/08)

To the editor:

Discrimination is a widely used word in today's world. It seems some people try to use it to gain something or prove a point. But, what is it, exactly? Webster defines discrimination as: The act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually b: prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment.

My daughter is an 8th grade student at East Jay Middle School in Portland. She was recently asked to leave school for having green highlights in her hair. It was explained by Jay County school officials/faculty that she was disruptive, unclean in appearance and un-becoming to normal functions at EJMS.

In other words, she is a trouble making, dirty, and un-normal student. This could not be further from the truth! My daughter is not perfect by any means. However, she has not been a troublemaker or ever went to school unclean!

When this issue was first addressed on May 9, the principal at EJMS referred to the Jay Schools handbook. I was asked to read it and it said nothing about hair color.

The handbook reference used, stated: "Students are to wear clothing that does not disrupt the learning process and is in good taste."

"The faculty expects each student's appearance at school to reflect neatness, cleanliness, and appropriateness."

Isn't good taste a matter of one's opinion? Aren't there plenty of school faculty members with highlighted hair, and is there hair in "good taste"? My daughter was placed at the Alternative Placement Center for hair highlights. Basically, for someone else's interpretation of cleanliness and good taste. This is garbage!

Now, let's take a look at the word disruptive. We don't need Webster for this. Something disruptive takes attention away from something else, right? Okay, if my daughter is disruptive why then was she placed out of her normal seat in class and asked to sit up front by the teacher's desk? Isn't that disruptive, to put one on display for everyone to see? Why not try to let her blend in and act as if hair color isn't an issue? Won't the "distraction" eventually evaporate?

Good taste is our next stop. Good taste can be described as common sense. During this process my daughter was asked by a faculty member while she was being escorted from the classroom to the office if she had ever heard the song "It's not easy being green", by Oscar the Grouch. Is that something that was done in good taste, given the circumstances? Was common sense used? Not in my opinion.

I am appalled at how this situation was handled. Since when does hair color mean anything? Where is the line drawn? Blonde and black highlights are permitted, but any other color is not.

With all of this being said; the bottom line is if there were a specific rule in place about hair color I would not have sent my daughter to school with green highlights. Since there was nothing in the handbook pertaining to this issue and the fact that Jay County High School allows different hair color, I did not blink an eye at the situation.

As parents we try to teach our kids to respect others, play by the rules and be themselves. That is what my daughter did. I feel that she was mis-treated, mis-represented, and discriminated against for hair highlights.

The middle school years are very critical for an adolescent. For school officials to refer to a student as an unclean, not normal-cartoon character is unacceptable.

Tony Overton

Portland

Non-issue

To the editor:

At what point in time did hair color become an issue for an education? I recently heard of the dismissal of a student because of her hair color. Doesn't the school have bigger issues to worry about than hair color?

So, maybe we should send all the teens and tweens home who do not have the trendy clothing, $100 tennis shoes, or maybe just the one's who do not play sports.

How about the teenage boys who I have seen walking out of the middle school who have full beards and look older than the parents picking them up? I just think that a school that says a hair color is distracting to other students truly is not trying hard enough to educate the students.

The Jay school system is really going for the whole character counts theme right now, but how is character suppose to count is students are not allowed to be an individual. I did not grow up with many of the things other kids had, but at least my mother always taught me to be an individual and not just another person in the crowd. What is so wrong with being different? I think I will be going green in the morning before I go to work in support a teen being brave enough to have character, be an individual, and not being another person in the crowd!

Kari Griffith

Portland

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