Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughters hair, tweeted another. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "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 acts name is a backronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington have adopted the Crown Act as law. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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 It is unclear what will happen to her, but many are calling for her to be fired. 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. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. Quit with that crap., Another wrote, I literally had palpitations just reading the headline. 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.. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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 employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologized. 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. She said 'but dad, it was the teacher.' He is also suing for racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. The reprimands were to go in the employees files. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. 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. 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 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. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnees hair and the teacher who cut it are white. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. "Jurnee had long, curly hair prior to it being cut off," the complaint states. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Some private schools may have a dress code or code of conduct that includes stipulations about hair length for students, while others may not. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. 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. The district did not specify how long the agreement would last. 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. Now, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools board said its seen the results of both an internal and an external investigation. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. 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. 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint. 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. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. I would of lost my freaking mind. The library employee cut Jurnees hair on March 26, without obtaining permission from the Jurnees parents or consulting with school administrators. But it has nothing to do with White, Black, or Bi-racial. The girl who cut Jurnees hair is white. 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. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. 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 The board ruled to place Mogg on a last chance employment agreement, during which time any future violations will likely result in termination. Superintendent Jennifer Verleger recommended the discipline and was supported by the board. Margaret Gieszinger, 52, a chemistry teacher in California, was caught on camera forcibly cutting a students hair and throwing it behind her while singing the national anthem. Two days later 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. 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. In the complaint, neither of those two school employees is identified by their first names. Her teaching credentials were suspended twice due to immoral conduct, and she was previously suspended from teaching. Jurnee's mother is white. It alleges that the biracial girl's constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. The haircutting was done without permission from the students parents or consulting with school administrators. A teacher in Michigan is accused of cutting off a students hair because of his biracial skin. 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. 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 teacher cut her hair to even it out.". Margaret Gieszinger, a 53-year-old science and chemistry teacher, was arrested on Wednesday in Santa Clara. This is the second unasked-for chop for a 7-year-old daughter in a week, according to her father. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. 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. WNEM She told her father, Jimmy Hoffmeyer that another student had cut her hair on the school bus with scissors taken from the classroom. 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. On Friday school board officials claimed: Its clear from the third-party investigation and the districts own internal investigation that MPPS employees had good intentions when performing the haircut. 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. After allegedly pressuring a student into getting a haircut, a California teacher was fired and charged with six misdemeanor counts of child cruelty. This is a complete abuse of power. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. Now it's like it's just gone.". If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Parents are upset that they were not informed about the incident and that they are eager for more information. 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 Because she had to go back to class like that," he added. All rights reserved (About Us). Two days after the bus incident and after her father complained to the principal and took Jurnee to a salon to style her hair in an asymmetrical cut to make the differing lengths less obvious Jurnee arrived home with her hair cut on the other side. Lawsuit seeks $1M after Michigan teacher cuts biracial girls h It is also New Jerseys preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. Twitter users have noted that the teacher shouldnt have cut Jurnees hair, but some have mixed opinions about Jimmys racism allegations against the school and its staff. 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. 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. The incident occurred just after the boy returned home from school; his parents were made aware of it when he returned home. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. Jurnee Hoffmeyer. September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM Im not one to try to make things about race, he said. / MoneyWatch. "After that teacher cut her hair, she was so embarrassed. Furthermore, the schools hair regulations may be in violation of the students equal protection rights because they may be based on a personal preference (such as the students hair length) rather than a legitimate educational interest. 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 short hair required by schools in India is an attempt to give students a proper dress code and a proper hairstyle. "We should probably call him and let him know what just happened.". 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). "We are confident that the facts will prevail given our district's appropriate and aggressive response to the incident and the findings of the third-party investigation that was conducted," Bond said in a statement. "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. 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. Have something to tell us about this article? 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. A father in Michigan has transferred his biracial 7-year-old daughter to another school after a classmate and a school employee cut his child's curls. Jimmy Hoffmeyer seeks $1 million from Mount Pleasant Public Schools, alleging it violated his biracial daughters constitutional rights. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. 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. But the district did not say who performed the independent investigation, and Laster said neither Jurnee nor her parents had been contacted by independent investigators. I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, Hoffmeyer said at the time. IE 11 is not supported. The bill would establish legal protections for Black people against discrimination due to hair color. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated. 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. 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