People can still act on racial bias even with the best intentions, Laster said. Huffpost untangles the complex history of black hair, Baseball legend Jackie Robinson's name misspelled as "Jakie" on road sign, Serena Williams honored at NAACP Image Awards, City, family reach $2 million settlement in Florida fatal police shooting, How these 3 hashtags from Black Twitter changed America. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. The school board also said an independent investigation determined that, despite the "good intentions" of the worker who cut the girl's hair, the employee had violated school policy by cutting the student's hair without permission from her parents and without the knowledge of district administrators. The father of a seven-year-old girl named Jurnee Hoffmeyer is filing a $1 million lawsuit against her previous school over her haircut, which was done without permission. The barber arrived with his mobile barber shop to fix the boys hair. I see this type of stuff manifest all across this nation, and if were really, truly looking to end and eradicate systemic racism, people are going to have to do the hard, introspective work of challenging their own thoughts and beliefs, Laster said. It is unclear what will happen to her, but many are calling for her to be fired. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. But Hoffmeyer said the district never questioned him or Jurnee. Superintendent Verleger has also personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. As your Board, we have made every effort to address this matter with the seriousness and care it deserves and with the transparency our community expects. Legal Statement. In addition, Superintendent Verleger has recommended and the Board has accepted written reprimands for two additional MPPS employees who were aware of the incident but did not alert the students parents or the Administration.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Im not one to try to make things about race, he said. Most schools have a dress code that teachers are required to follow. "Jurnee had long, curly hair prior to it being cut off," the complaint states. She was crying, Hoffmeyer said. The dad took issue with the response, countering by asking what the school was planning to do with the staffer who cut his daughters hair, Bradley said. I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. The employee who cut Hoffmeyers hair acted with good intentions, as did two other district employees who were aware of the haircut but did not alert Hoffmeyers parents or the school district, the board said in a statement emailed Friday. The girl who cut Jurnees hair is white. Quit with that crap., Another wrote, I literally had palpitations just reading the headline. Read more:Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school stafferMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cutMichigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. The best degree for an elementary school teacher is a bachelors degree in elementary education. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press in April. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Jurnee's mother is white. These written reprimands will go into the employees respective files. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut," Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.. Hoffmeyer Said Jurnee Was Crying & Afraid of Getting in Trouble After the Teacher Cut Her Hair Hoffmeyer said in an interview with the Associated Press that "After that teacher cut her hair, she was so embarrassed. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated. Under the Fourteenth Amendment, courts frequently conclude that a students hairstyle is a form of free expression, or that policies in question violate a students rights to freedom of expression or equal protection. The Crown Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act) has been referred to the Senate. Hoffmeyer said he filed an incident report with the Mount Pleasant Police Department, but as of Monday no officer had contacted him to follow up on the complaint. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. The district "failed to properly train, monitor, direct, discipline and supervise their employees, and knew or should have known that the employees would engage in the complained of behavior given the improper training, customs, procedures and policies, and the lack of discipline that existed for employees," according to the lawsuit. Two other employees were aware of the incident but didnt report it. Jurnee's mother is white. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. After the haircutting incident, Hoffmeyer removed Jurnee from Ganiard and enrolled her in another school. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. She's having trouble sleeping now and always wants to be with us," Hoffmeyer told the Black Wall Street Times, which states Jurnee is in first grade. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A white employee and white administrators being investigated by a nearly all-white school board who hired an unknown independent investigator is not an appropriate lens by which to evaluate this situation. 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12. The union has called on the school to issue a formal apology to the family "for violating their rights and cutting Jurnee's hair without parental advisement or consent" and "formal consequences to the educators and staff who decided to act without parental permission, guidance or consent.". There is no evidence of a racially discriminatory intent, purpose, or motive, or evidence that Plaintiff was denied full and equal enjoyment of goods and services, attorney Piper wrote. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I would of lost my freaking mind. Hoffmeyer, who is Black, said in March that his daughter Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with much of the hair on one side of her head cut. The incident occurred just after the boy returned home from school; his parents were made aware of it when he returned home. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Two days before the recent settlement conference, defense counsel filed a motion seeking the cases dismissal. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports. The girl's hair was originally cut by a classmate on the school bus but was cut again by a teacher at Ganiard Elementary School days later to "even it out.". The key takeaways in both reviews are consistent, the board stated. We truly appreciate the support and patience by our students, staff and families while an independent, third-party investigation was conducted regarding an incident at Ganiard Elementary School. As the girls father claims, Ms. Moggs,urnees library teacher, cut off her hair with the assistance of Ms. Jacobs, the schools teachers assistant. The school staffer who cut Jurnees hair is also white. Some private schools may have a dress code or code of conduct that includes stipulations about hair length for students, while others may not. But it has nothing to do with White, Black, or Bi-racial. The district did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails asking who conducted the investigation and whether they contacted the Hoffmeyer family. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. The teacher had been cutting the boys hair without permission from his parents. He is also suing for racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. She now attends another school. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. When asked, she said a classmate used scissors to chop her hair off on the bus., However, two days later, Jurnee arrived home with her hair on the other side cut as well and told her father that her teacher did it., Jimmy told at the time: She was crying. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents' permission has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teacher's assistant. In addition, Superintendent Verleger has recommended and the Board has accepted written reprimands for two additional MPPS employees who were aware of the incident but did not alert the students parents or the Administration. "She said she didn't have the authority to do anything," Hoffmeyer said in reference to a conversation he had with the Ganiard Elementary School principal. The librarian who cut Jurnee Hoffmeyers hair was reprimanded by the Board of Education, who agreed to place her on a last chance agreement, in which she would almost certainly be fired if she violates it again in the future. The local school board has deemed Jimmys allegations as baseless and have claimed that they would aggressively defend them in court., Jurnees father first made headlines in March after revealing that a teacher from his daughters school, Ganiard Elementary, had cut her hair without parental permission., He told The Associated Press in April that Jurnee arrived home from school with hair on one side cut. Because of this, the distinction between military schools and army students is known as their distinctiveness and uniqueness.. After allegedly pressuring a student into getting a haircut, a California teacher was fired and charged with six misdemeanor counts of child cruelty. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Some feel that the teacher was justified in her actions, while others feel that she went too far. Parents are upset that they were not informed about the incident and that they are eager for more information. So embarrassed. The bill would establish legal protections for Black people against discrimination due to hair color. The racial undertones make it worse, but honestly, why would you ever cut any kids hair without asking the parents?. Piper also wrote her clients were entitled to qualified immunity. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. A couple of weeks ago, Jurnee Hoffmeyer got her hair cut by another student on the bus home from school, her father, Jimmy, says.It didnt look, arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing, Free legal representation now available for many Detroiters facing eviction, MSU announces new security measures, plan for external review of response to mass shooting on campus, Michigan Senate advances repeal of 1931 abortion ban though the ban is already unenforceable, Michigan Senate passes Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act expansion to add LGBTQ rights, Former Burton police officer charged with hate crime, Mount Pleasant family says daughters haircut by school staff exposes racial bias. Two days after the bus incident and after complaining to the principal and having Jurnees hair styled at a salon with an asymmetrical cut to make the differing lengths less obvious Jurnee arrived home with the hair on the other side cut. In the complaint, neither of those two school employees is identified by their first names. The students family is now demanding answers from the school district. "https://t.co/0fXblhhfRR, In other news, Mean Lori Lightfoot Beetlejuice memes go viral as Chicago mayor concedes, The Official Hollyoaks Autumn Trailer | Hollyoaks, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rDJrPqz4Kuk/hqdefault.jpg. Jurnee Hoffmeyer on March 24 arrived home from Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., with the hair on one side of her head cut off. You ever cut any kids hair without asking the parents? emotional,... Call from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere a week later the... To try to make things about race, he said and Open for... Written reprimands will go into the employees respective files World for Natural hair Act ) has been to! And youtubes terms of service is available here and youtubes terms of service is available here and terms... 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