In 2019, an 11-year-old cheerleader in Coloradowas cut from a private cheer teambecause she didn't wear her hair in a ponytail like her White and Latina teammates. The teacher was immediately suspended and is currently under investigation. We believe a last chance agreement is appropriate given that the employee has an outstanding record of conduct and has never once been reprimanded in more than 20 years of work at MPPS, the board wrote. "All of this because her hair didn't look how they thought it should, wasn't done to their standards. The Teacher Who Cut Off A Students Hair Bachelors Degree In Elementary Education: The Best Choice For Elementary School Teachers, Rutgers: A Top Choice For Students Interested In Pursuing A Career In Teaching, The Best Places In The World to Seek Practical Education, 4 Ways Teachers Can Improve Their Performance in the Classroom, The Unique And Rewarding Experience Of Teaching At A Christian School, What To Do Before The School Year Starts Teacher, How To Teach High School Genetics: A Guide. 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. LANSING, MI The Michigan Department of Civil Rights has taken notice of a recent incident involving a Mount Pleasant schoolgirl having her hair cut by a fellow student and then by a staff member, incidents that have garnered public outcry. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said Monday he also is considering taking his daughter, Jurnee, out of Mount Pleasant Public Schools and enrolling her in a private school. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. Christina Laster, an advocate for the Hoffmeyer family and the policy and legislation director for the National Parents Union, said the employees intent shouldnt matter. To achieve our mission of providing a world-class education to all MPPS students, we must continuously strive to improve and acknowledge when we have not lived up to our own high standards., Father of girl, 7, who had hair cut off by school staffer files $1 million lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, Even as local efforts increase, hair discrimination is still legal in Michigan, Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school staffer, Michigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut, Michigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. Later, the schools principal told him the most that could happen to the library teacher was a note in her work file, Hoffmeyer said. On video, the teacher can be seen cutting the hair of a student seated in the front row of a classroom at University Preparatory High School in California. Jurnee's mother is white. This undated photo provided by Jimmy Hoffmeyer shows his daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. Our main purpose with the independent investigation has been to bring the facts to light, learn from this incident and make our district even stronger, the board wrote. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgement. September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM Superintendent Verleger has also personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district. The district did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails asking who conducted the investigation and whether they contacted the Hoffmeyer family. If you look at pictures of her before this happened, you can just see her spark and her energy. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. The investigation included interviews with district personnel, students and families, as well as a review of video and photos, including posts on social media, the district said. It's clear from the third-party investigation and the districts own internal investigation that MPPS employees had good intentions when performing the haircut. 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint. Hoffmeyer took his little girl to a hair salon to make the differing lengths less obvious but was enraged to discover that two days later, a teacher had also taken to his daughter's hair. 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. Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP. The racial undertones make it worse, but honestly, why would you ever cut any kids hair without asking the parents?. I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. "Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughter's hair. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said his biracial daughter came home on March 24 with much of the hair on one side cut after another child grabbed on a pair of scissors. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, a father in Michigan, is suing the school district in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, because a school employee cut his daughter's hair. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on the school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press. IE 11 is not supported. I would of lost my freaking mind. Michigan is one of the states considering a CROWN Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act to protect women and girls who are frequently discriminated against for wearing natural hair. Defendants involved in Massachusetts standoff in court, 911 callers urge help for hockey player killed by fireworks, Lawsuit: Man who sparked treasure hunt retrieved own loot, Chicago police chief, U.S. attorney resign after Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection. 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. Two other employees were aware of the incident but didnt report it. The school board, on the other hand, has determined that jurors hair was not cut to coincide with her race. Jurnee's mother is white. The bill would establish legal protections for Black people against discrimination due to hair color. It alleges that the biracial girls constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. Hoffmeyer said he filed an incident report with the Mount Pleasant police, but as of Monday no officer had contacted him to follow up on the complaint. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The haircutting was done without permission from the students parents or consulting with school administrators. "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. 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, the board said. A Michigan father has moved his 7-year-old biracial daughter from one school to another after the child's hair was cut on separate occasions by a classmate and a teacher. The parent of Jurnee Hoffmeyer, a 7-year-old girl whose hair was cut by a school librarian, has sued the Michigan school district for $1 million. We will aggressively defend against these baseless allegations in court and will not allow this to distract us from our mission to provide every child a world-class education that prepares them for college and careers.. The district did not specify how long the agreement would last. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. 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. He said he was told the school would talk to the parents of the classmate involved in the first haircut and that a note would be placed in the teacher's work file. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. And she said not identifying racial bias as a factor that contributed to the haircut means the district is missing chances to stamp out racism. The school board said the independent investigation found no racial bias and included interviews with district personnel, students and families and a review of video and photos, including posts on social media. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. In the spirit of transparency, we are presenting the key findings from this investigation and resulting discipline as recommended by Superintendent Jennifer Verleger with support from the school board. The staffer was accused of performing a modern-day scalping by a parents group, but school district officials in Michigan announced that after a third-party investigation into the incident, the librarian did not act with racial bias and therefore will keep her job. There is no evidence that Defendants actions shocks the conscience and did not result in an injury so severe so as to constitute a substantive due process violation under the Fourteenth Amendment.. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, arrived home from a Michigan school last month with a haircut from a classmate on the school bus and, later, another from her teacher. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions are unacceptable and show a lack of judgement on the part of our two employees, Verleger wrote. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. Jurnee Hoffmeyer. But it has nothing to do with White, Black, or Bi-racial. A white elementary school librarian who cut the hair of a biracial girl will be allowed to keep her job despite an outcry over the incident. It is unclear what will happen to her, but many are calling for her to be fired. As a result of the districts investigation, the employee who cut the students hair will be placed on a last chance agreement during which time any future violations will likely result in termination. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. Hair like Jurnees is too often viewed as a problem to be solved., The school board said the staff member who cut Hoffmeyers hair will be placed on a last chance agreement, meaning that any future violations will likely result in termination.. "We should probably call him and let him know what just happened.". Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughters hair, tweeted another. File photo: Students walk to board a school bus in Manhattan's East Village. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnee's hair and the teacher who cut it are white. IE 11 is not supported. The father of three young daughters says he has taken Jurnee out of the school and is considering enrolling her in a private school. 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. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, and its mission. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. The teacher was arrested after forcibly cutting off the hair of a student. 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. 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 The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, MLive.com reported. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.. There could be a few reasons why the teacher cut Jurnees hair. One tweeted: Father sues for $1M after Michigan teacher cuts 7-year-old daughters hair Teacher should not have cut that childs hair, thats for sure. WRSX 91.3 Port Huron is off the air due to network issues. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific private school in India in question. The short hair required by schools in India is an attempt to give students a proper dress code and a proper hairstyle. Our main purpose with the independent investigation has been to bring the facts to light, learn from this incident and make our district even stronger. The father said he found the explanations he has received from the school principal and the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District disappointing. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. According to the complaint4, Jurnees school has long hair regulations, but it is not clear what those regulations are; however, it is likely that the school has implemented a policy to prevent excessive hair growth. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. 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 father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut in school without her parents' consent has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teacher's assistant. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. 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 The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologized. It was a normal day at school when the teacher walked into the classroom and saw one of her students with a haircut that she didnt like. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. This is a complete abuse of power. She was crying, Hoffmeyer said. A teacher in Michigan is accused of cutting off a students hair because of his biracial skin. Mr Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press that neither he nor his daughter were questioned as part of the investigation. "I asked what happened and said, 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair,'" Hoffmeyer said at the time. "I asked what happened and said 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair.' Jimmy Hoffmeyer seeks $1 million from Mount Pleasant Public Schools, alleging it violated his biracial daughters constitutional rights. Please enter valid email address to continue. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said a teacher cut his 7-year-old daughters hair without his permission. Mount Pleasant Public Schools full statement is below: At Mt. I would of lost my freaking mind. Jimmy Hoffmeyer on Tuesday, Sept. 14, filed his federal lawsuit on behalf of daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer in the Western District of Michigan. This usually includes guidelines about appropriate hair styles. The teacher of a Minnesota middle school cut off the hair of a 12-year-old black boy without the permission of his parents. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions were unacceptable and show a lack of judgment on the part of our two employees, Verleger said in a statement. The Mount Pleasant School Districts superintendent dismissed the allegations as an example of misinformation. Jennifer Gieszinger began teaching part-time at a Tulare County high school in August. 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.. The school called after the bus incident and said the little girl stole the scissors off the teachers desk, and they were going to talk to the parents and deal with it accordingly, he said. 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. We believe a last chance agreement is appropriate given that the employee has an outstanding record of conduct and has never once been reprimanded in more than 20 years of work at MPPS. Hoffmeyer said the explanations he has received from the principal and the district have done little to appease him. Hoffmeyer is working with the National Parents Union, a national network of parent organizations and activists that advocate to improve the quality of life for children. It is also New Jerseys preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. The incident occurred in March when seven-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from school with the hair on one side of her head cut off. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, who is biracial, is pictured before the unapproved haircuts took place. Amy Bond, the Mount Pleasant school board president, said Thursday the district has not received the lawsuit. Michigan school district confident facts will prevail in $1 million racial discrimination lawsuit in girls haircutting incident, Father of girl, 7, who had hair cut off by school staffer files $1 million lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, Even as local efforts increase, hair discrimination is still legal in Michigan, Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school staffer, Michigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut, Michigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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