a girl faced expulsion for having natural hair

http://newsone.com/2792588/vanessa-vandyke-natural-hair/
Girl Who Faced Expulsion Over Natural Hair Gets To Stay At Private School


excerpt from the article

On Monday, 12-year-old Vanessa VanDyke (pictured), who attends Faith Christian Academy in Central Florida, was faced with quite a dilemma.

School officials allegedly mandated that she restyle her natural hair or be expelled for a week. But, just one day after the bizarre request got national media attention, the edict was suddenly rescinded and Vanessa now gets to remain in school with her crowning glory as is, according to WKMG Local 6.
Vanessa has attended the private school for three years and had never experienced any bullying over her hairstyle until now. When Vanessa’s mom, Sabrina Kent, approached school officials over her daughter being taunted by classmates because her hair was not straight, they thought it would be in her best interest to straighten it.

The tween, who loves the texture of her hair, talked to Local 6 about her choice of hairstyle. “It says that I’m unique,” Vanessa said. “First of all, it’s puffy and I like it that way. I know people will tease me about it because it’s not straight. I don’t fit in.”.......
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this is a great message to tell your little girl. whats the message? she's ugly. if she dont look like us then you are ugly.

 

Clearly her hair was a distraction

How about she follow the rules of the school?

No, rules are for everybody but sistas no matter how young

They let her back in school without her changing her hair, so it worked

 

how was it a distraction and why should she straighten her hair ?

 

The article was written 2 years ago lol

 

yep. I saw it referenced in a discussion the other day

 

Oh ok then.

I have some experience with this. From 3rd grade to 12th grade I never cut my hair, I wore cornrows cause that's what was popular at the time. A few times I would wear my hair out to school only time I would get confronted was if I sat in the front and they would just ask me to move to the back.

Straightening is definitely not the answer, but she could have gotten her hair braided, or twisted, or any other style that doesn't require harmful chemicals.

 

yeah but that ambigous rule....distraction. whats a distraction? thats the real deal with me. why should she straighten it? so she can fit the European look?

 

distraction is a codeword. Like when they say no hats in class and you ask why and they say "its a distraction" (who gets distracted by a hat lol).

The article says she was being bullied and when she told school officials they told her to straighten it. To me that's their way of saying, "We can't force them to stop bullying you but if you did something different with your hair than they won't bully you over it." and the they threaten to expel her if she doesn't, that's were the article gets odd.

 

No where in that article did any school official even insinuate that she's "ugly" because of her hair. Her hair is considered a distraction because of how "puffy" it is (as she herself described it). You can have beautiful, natural hair all you want, but it must be styled within the guidelines of the schools dress code. My daughters hair can get pretty puffy and wild but I'd never send her to school without it tamed lol. You know why?? Cause it's a distraction. You're reading far too much into this imo.

 

The whole "distraction" thing is being used all over (including all white areas). It is a way of controlling all sorts of things. Kids with color in their hair, clothing choices, boys with hair touching or longer than their collar, etc.

 

its possible but when you are getting bullied and you are being punished....thats a problem.

and when you are being bullied cause of your hair....thats a problem. they are bullying her cause shes different

 

I'd imagine that most bullying happens because the victim is different in some way. She's embracing her uniqueness, which I applaud, but her mother needs to help her find a way to stay true to who she is, while still adhering to the dress code of the school. She doesn't have to straighten it, she could simply pull it back in a ponytail or braid for school. The school should've (and maybe they did) address the bullies about their behavior. Without question. I don't think addressing the student about her hair at the same time was wrong though.

 

Uh well when many of us had curly perms and crazy hair in the 80s we were called out in school. Detention, etc.

 

yeah I agree. when you tell a child to straighten it then you are sending a bad message

 

It's a "distraction" when the school says it is

She should have straightened her hair because it was a distraction

Asked and answered

 

Careful you're not cosigning the victimhood agenda

 

why should she straighten her hair?

how is it a distraction?

 

also define distraction

 

Who ever said she had to straighten it?

 

the school officials