She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.. 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. Jurnee's mother is white. Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press Jurnee came home from school March 24 with most of the hair on one side of her head cut. The girl told her dad another student cut her hair with scissors on the bus. Hoffmeyer filed a complaint with the principal and had his daughters hair styled at a salon to even out the differing lengths. 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. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. "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. 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. There could be a few reasons why the teacher cut Jurnees hair. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut., I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, he continued. 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 bill would establish legal protections for Black people against discrimination due to hair color. A teacher in Michigan is accused of cutting off a students hair because of his biracial skin. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. WRSX 91.3 Port Huron is off the air due to network issues. Later, the schools principal told him the most that could happen to the library teacher was a note in her work file, Hoffmeyer said. In a fit of anger, she grabbed the students hair and cut it off. The Mount Pleasant Public Schools board commissioned an independent third-party investigation into why a library staff member cut 7-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyers hair at school on March 26. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnees hair and the teacher who cut it are white. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions are unacceptable and show a lack of judgement on the part of our two employees, Verleger wrote. 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 best to check with the school directly to inquire about their policies regarding hair length for students. 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. The girl who cut Jurnees hair is white. Professional development will also be a key part of learning from this experience and improving as a district. 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.". Jimmy Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white, said in March that a classmate used scissors to cut one side of his daughter's hair. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents permission has filed a "We should probably call him and let him know what just happened.". I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. Mr Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press that neither he nor his daughter were questioned as part of the investigation. 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. If you look at pictures of her before this happened, you can just see her spark and her energy. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. 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 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. Big Lew arrived at the boys house to get his mobile barber business working. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, arrived home from a Michigan school last month with an unwanted haircut from her teacher, sparking outrage from her father and the community alike. She told her father, Jimmy Hoffmeyer that another student had cut her hair on the school bus with scissors taken from the classroom. He added that he also received a call from the school district's superintendent about a week later offering to have "I'm sorry" cards mailed to the family but "got mad and hung up" on the call. She was crying, Hoffmeyer said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. "I've pretty much grown up with only white people, myself. I know alot of yall want to kno more but this is all I can say at the moment but will update when I canjust want to keep ppl aware in the mean time. A teacher who cut a students hair is a very bad teacher. Hoffmeyer says the classmate and the teacher are white. On a related note, the Michigan House of Representatives in March 2022 passed the CROWN Act in a 235-189 vote to prohibit race-based hair discrimination. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press in April. Some feel that the teacher was justified in her actions, while others feel that she went too far. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.. A teacher at a school in Georgia was caught on video cutting a black students hair while he was asleep in class. 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 key takeaways in both reviews are consistent. Jurnee's mother is white. The reprimands were to go in the employees files. 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. 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. 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.. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, who is biracial, is pictured before the unapproved haircuts took place. 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. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. There is no evidence the incident was motivated by racial bias. 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 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.. Jennifer Gieszinger began teaching part-time at a Tulare County high school in August. 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. 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. Mr Hoffmeyer took his daughter to a barber, who gave her an asymmetric haircut to help even out her hair. Jimmy Hoffmeyer seeks $1 million from Mount Pleasant Public Schools, alleging it violated his biracial daughters constitutional rights. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Mount Pleasant Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Verleger said she has personally apologized to the students family. Most schools have a dress code that teachers are required to follow. Two days later, Jurnee returned home from school in tears with all of her long curly hair cut down to within a couple of inches of her scalp. 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. A 12-year-old Minnesota boy walked home from school without his afro. 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. That librarian is now a named defendant in a $1 million civil rights lawsuit filed by the girls father. Jimmy Hoffmeyer of Michigan filed the case on behalf of his daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer. The lawsuit claims that the librarian, along with the school district and a teachers assistant, violated Jurnees civil rights. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He is also suing for racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. In an interview with the Associated Press, Mount Pleasant father Jimmy Hoffmeyer said his daughter Jurnee arrived home from school on March 24 with the hair on one side of her head cut off. The school staffer who cut Jurnees hair is also white. Jurnee said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press earlier this year. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgment. 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 September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM 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. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologised.. 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. News provided by The Associated Press. 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. But Hoffmeyer said the district never questioned him or Jurnee. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. 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. Verleger wrote that Jurnee had asked a fellow student to cut her hair at school. Powered and implemented by FactSet. As your Board of Education, we are committed to ensuring our schools are safe and welcoming for all our students. The teacher cut her hair to even it out.". The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. If signed into law, the bill would add language to Michigans Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists as traits historically associated with race.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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 best degree for an elementary school teacher is a bachelors degree in elementary education. All rights reserved (About Us). "She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.". "Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughter's hair. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. Laster said failing to speak with the Hoffmeyer family means investigators have an incomplete picture of what motivated the haircut and how it affected Jurnee. Two other employees were aware of the incident but didnt report it. Other schools have drawn unwanted attention for policing the hairstyles of students of color. 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 Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education said in a statement on Friday, MLive reports. After a fellow student cut her head off on the bus on March 24, she returned home with one side of her head cropped open. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut., I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair. Brett joined Michigan Radio in December 2021 as an editor. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He said two days later a teacher cut Jurnee's hair to even it out. The racial undertones make it worse, but honestly, why would you ever cut any kids hair without asking the parents?. Please enter valid email address to continue. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. "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 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. 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. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users She now attends another school. The library employee cut Jurnees hair on March 26, without obtaining permission from the Jurnees parents or consulting with school administrators. 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. 91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 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. Mount Pleasant is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Jurnee Hoffmeyer. Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP 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 lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teachers assistant. 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. This degree will give you the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective elementary school teacher. In this conversation. So embarrassed. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologized. This is a complete abuse of power. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. MLive.com reports that the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools. She offered to have Im sorry cards mailed to IE 11 is not supported. Maybe the teacher was trying to even out her hair, or maybe Jurnee had lice. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. It is unclear what will happen to her, but many are calling for her to be fired. 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