Cynthetiq

Child's mohawk causes debate



AUBURN, California (AP) -- It used to be that schoolchildren might get their mouths washed out for using blue language. These days at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, they're more likely to have their hair washed out -- for sporting a blue mohawk.

Parents of a 6-year-old boy say they plan to consult an attorney after a school principal washed bright blue dye out of their son's punk-style haircut.

Levey Padocs Jr.'s father said he allowed his son to get the distinctive 'do more than a month ago for behaving better in class.

But parents of the boy's kindergarten classmates complained the haircut would spoil an upcoming class photo, so Principal Derek Cooper said he washed the boy's hair in the nurse's office after getting permission from the boy's mother.

The boy's father said neither he nor the mother approved the washing. They plan to discuss the situation with an attorney.

"Leave him alone. He's not a problem child. He's not hurting anyone," Levey Padocs Sr. said. "He's an individual, and that's how he's expressing his individuality."
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IMO he's 6, he's still not truly aware of his individuality or individual self. I think that it's more the parents who are fighting for this because they think that it's cool. Just like the parents in NYC who were put their child on a vegan diet because that's what they felt was best for the child, I think the intent is well but the action needs some work.

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Redjake

My sister (15 at the time) had a mohawk for a while. It was fucking huge. Probably the biggest one I've ever seen. It was bright pink. She didn't get sent home or have to get it washed out or anything like that. hmm.

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lurkette

The principal's reason for washing out the mohawk is pretty lame. Do they keep ugly kids out because they'll "spoil the photo"? Or kids who wear ugly clothes? Please. If it was disrupting class, or specifically against the dress code, I could see it. But just because some of the other kids thought it would spoil their picture - feh. Conformist whiners. I disagree that a 6-year-old is not aware of his individuality. Kids that age have very distinct preferences and are starting to form the kind of self-awareness that makes them brats by the time they're 8

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:::OshnSoul:::

a hairstyle's a hairstyle........some people choose to get take the opportunity to indulge in offensive tactics and make a big deal out of one kid's spiky hair. Way to go, parents!

Cynthetiq

aaahh... said from the lady who KNOWS kid development AND has purple hair.

I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Mephisto2

Erm, so what's the problem?

They give permission, but now they see big dollar signs and decide to consult a lawyer?!!

Schools should have a dress code and even uniforms. Avoids all this kind of nonesense.

And whilst I rarely disagree with lurkette, I think the idea of a 6 year old with a mohawk is just plain stupid.


Mr Mephisto

Aletheia

If she (mother) gave consent to the school, then there is no case.

animosity

punk kids...

sixate

I couldn't agree more. When/if I ever have a kid he/she will never sport a mohawk while living under my roof.

With that said, I was sent home from school when I was a freshman because I shaved my head..... It wasn't against any rules or anything like that. My mom brought me back to school and cussed out the principal of my school in front of everyone, and that was the end of that. 13 years later I'm still shaving my head.

cj2112

My son who is now 8 wanted (and still does) a mohawk when he started first grade (which means he was 6). I seriously considered letting him have one too. The reason I said no, was not because I felt it was ridiculous for a 6 y.o. to have one, but because I didn't want problems with people (namely the school staff) who might. He never asked about dying it blue, however I don't see what the big deal is, it's only hair. I think that if the parents did not give permission to the principal to wash the dye out, then the kid and parents deserve an apology, nothing more, nothing less.

DelayedReaction

Depends on the situation. If the parents gave permission, then there's no grounds for anything. If they did not, then the principal is lying and disciplinary action should be taken.

Upon who does the burden of proof lie?

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Astrocloud

I pity da fool that disses the mohawk

Prince

I wonder what they do with all the fat kids when it's time to take that class photo. Or kids with big ears, or braces.

Be anything you want to be, as long as you're the same as everyone else.

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phredgreen

read the entire article. principal said he got permission, both parents deny giving permission. i would be incredibly offended if my child's principal took my child against their will in and washed their hair. so maybe a blue mohawk isn't the best plan for a 6 year old, but if the parents insits they didn't authorize the washing, then there's real issues. i would never allow an authority figure to manhandle my child like that.

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User Name

I started shaving my head my senior year in high school, and have had absolutely no problems with the authorities. Also, my school is at least half black, and about a third Hispanic, and I have had no problems with them thinking I was a white supremacist.

As far as the kid goes, he shouldn't be forced to change his hairstyle by anyone other than his parents, regardless of problems that he may or may not have caused (which he didn't in this case). I don't think hair has a definite effect on behavior.

bermuDa

I definitely agree there. I used to be something of a problem child when i was young and I hated authority figures to begin with. If I were in that kid's shoes it would be a huge indignity to me, and I would be seriously pissed off if someone did that to my kid.

I may not think a blue mohawk is a great idea for a 6 year old, but when i was about 10 I wanted the barber to shave my initials in the back of my head and my dad wouldn't let me. Now I am thankful I didn't get it done. But if I did get it done and the principal took to shaving the rest of my head.... Just thinking about it boils my blood.

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shakran

Is there a no mohawk or no wild hairstyle clause in the school dresscode? No? Oh, ok then the principal is an asshat who should never have touched the kid. And if it IS in the dress code, the principal should have called the parents to come get the kid and THEY can wash his hair. The principle has no business putting water on that kids hair unless it's on fire.


Plus, why is it that so many parents think that what some OTHER kid is sporting will ruin the picture of THEIR kid. A kid in row 1 with a blue mohawk does not make your little bundle of joy in row 3 look any uglier.

That said, why a parent would allow a 6 year old to have a mohawk of any color is beyond me.

qtpye4u84

Dammit if my son wants a blue mohawk then he can have one if the school does not like it they can kiss my ass.
They would have hell for it.

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2kids1headache

I like mohawks. I'm with the majority (I think) on this: if the parents didn't give consent, then the principal is guilty of what I feel is almost a criminal act. (Some "pal".) If the parents gave consent, then it's really their own fault.

The article almost makes it sound as if the parents are divorced. I know that if something were to be done with my child that wasn't a medical emergency, then I'd want to consult with the OTHER half of my parental team on it.

Skettios

Go ahead, sue a school!

That's like robbing a bum.

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tehblaed

In middle school I can remember many times my friend Amanda being forced against her will to wash her hair out as soon as she stepped foot in the building. Their reasoning was that it created a disturbance in the learning environment, and was disrupting kids during class.

Facist cockgobblers.

fhqwhgads

When mohawks are outlawed, only outlaws will have mohawks...

Won't somebody please think of the children!?

Stare At The Sun

So very true. Our public schools are in enough shit already. Just let the kid wear the mohawk if he wants it, and leave it at that.

analog

Damn... it's a fucking haircut.

Why are people up in arms over it being "stupid" or "unnacceptable for a 6 year old"?

Let them do what they want to do, it's not hurting anyone. It's not hurting you, your mom, your brother, or your next-door-neighbor. It's HAIR. Damn.

Reese

I had a mohawk when I was about 8-9. It was already red so there was no need to dye it. Mine wasn't very big though.

I see no problem at all with a blue mohawk, or being put on a vegan diet, As long as their healthy. He said he got permission, which he probably didn't. His excuse was also lame.

Why is this news?

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skysooner

Principal had a ridiculous reason for doing it. It sounds like they don't have a case although I suppose the woman could like about it.

Averett

That made me giggle

THIS made me laugh hard, out loud. I hate when I do that at work!

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shakran

Because whether parents like it or not, school is not just to teach the kids how to read and figure. It's to prepare them for interaction in a work environment. In other words, they should be learning from an early age that there is a time and a place for extremes, and there is a time and a place to look like a normal human being.

If they show up to a job with a blue mohawk, they'll get fired unless they're DJing at a punk club.

If the kid wants a mohawk, he can have one during the summer. That's the time and place for a kid to. . erm. . let his hair down. Once he gets to school, he needs to start learning that while crazy hair is fun, it's not generally accepted when you are working in a peopled environment.

yournamehere

A blue mohawk on a <b>six-year old ?</b>
Gimme a break.
I'm sorry, but there is no six-year old that I've ever known that even has a clue as to the concept of individuality. If you doubt me, ask the next 6-year old you run across what 'individuality' means to him. He probably just likes Marge Simpson.

As a taxpayer I would be appalled that the parents would try to steal money out of my pocket as a result of them lacking the parenting skills to make decisions for their 6-year old child. Who do they think pays when a school board gets taken to court?

And yeah - some of us are "conformist whiners," I guess, when we find it wrong that the 'rights' of one student are allowed to trample the rights of every other student in the class. That's the problem with most people on the "It's my right" bandwagon - they're too busy yelling about themselves to ever consider the rights of everyone else.

______________________________________

p.s. How 80's.

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lurkette

They may not know the word "individuality" but they certainly have an emerging concept of being able to make decisions for themselves, and they certainly recognize differences between themselves and others. Go read some Piaget.

The kid wanted a mohawk. The parents let him have it as a reward for behaving well in school. Sounds to me like the kid has some distinct preferences that ought to be respected to the extent that they don't clash with the school's dress code.

Here I have to agree with you. A lawsuit is not the best way to handle this. Step 1. principal does something stupid. Step 2. get pissed off. Step 3. BIG PROFITS. If they wanted something constructive to come out of this, they could try working with the school board to establish some guidelines to prevent this from happening in the future, or turn the thing into education for the kids about being different: have funny hairstyle day, buy them all mohawk wigs or rainbow afro wigs or something, have some of them roll around in wheelchairs all day, whatever it takes to expose them to the concept that different != bad.

Last I'd checked, there was a right to freedom of expression built into the constitution, but not a right to have unremarkable class photos for all kindergarteners. It's a hairstyle, for pete's sake. Are you going to sue if the kid next to yours is making a funny face?

For kids this age, every moment is a "teachable" moment, and the lessons that are coming out of this situation are not ones I'd want kids to learn:

1. being different is dangerous, undesirable
2. authority can be abused without impunity (ignoring the "he said she said" kerfuffle over whether the parents did or didn't grant permission - assume for the moment they didn't)
3. rewards for good behavior can be yanked away
4. sue when you're pissed off

I agree that some middle ground needs to be found in society between the rights of the individual and the rights of the whole. But is blue hair really the most important battleground where this needs to be fought? It seems to me that allowing individuals to look the way they want is a fairly minor concession, and teaching kids to accept difference (which they're going to encounter everywhere in life) is a lot more important than making sure a school picture has nothing objectionable or remarkable in it. Go back to Stepford if you want conformity.

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Astrocloud

Ah Ha! And now we understand your aversion to mohawks (thanks to the immortal words of the Vandals)

yournamehere

So what would you teach him? - I get what I want - Fuck everyone else.?

I'm all for individuality and personal rights, but the right to swing my arm ends at your nose. <i>That's</i> what's not being taught here by the parents.

I just feel that the cumulative rights of the classmates outweigh the rights of one student. If that makes me a "Stepford conformist whiner," so be it. I've been called worse . . . . . . . .

__________________
If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors:
"If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too."
It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

Cynthetiq

I wonder if I should have said something because that kid in the 3 grade had a MASSIVE cowlick.

Lurk you are right. Turn it positive to show that people are different and can be different.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

bparker805

These parents should be locked away for trying to teach their child the value of being an individual.

lurkette

No. I would teach the kid to stand up for what he thinks is right, and to not be intimidated because people don't approve of your appearance, opinions, ethnicity, etc. Again, there are more important things than blue hair to stand up for, but it's a good place to start. And I would teach the other kids that different is not bad.

I guess where we disagree is about the "rights" of the classmates. I don't think it's their right to insist that another person's free expression doesn't offend them, or their aesthetic sensibilities. If this were a high school student wearing an upopular political t-shirt (from whatever side of the political spectrum; and again, assuming that it doesn't violate dress code), would your opinion be different?

The "where my nose begins" argument is all fine and good when it comes to property rights (zoning laws, convenances), health considerations (smoking bans), business practices (environmental regulation), etc., but I'm not willing to let that argument extend into issues of personal expression and "taste" for lack of a better term. I'm surprised that you would be. It's this kind of "offend no-one" thinking that has led to the ridiculous PC culture we live in and that hardly anybody thinks is a good thing.

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erion

Anyone who thinks that kids don't have individual personalities has most likely not spent a great deal of time with one. At 18 months, my son has a favorite color, food, and stuffed animal, and can identify and ask for all three clearly with spoken words and gestures.

yournamehere

Actually, the PC culture is the <b>majority</b> bending over backwards to <i>not offend</i> the <b>minority</b>; not the other way around.
The Politically Correct response to this would be, "Oh - let's not punish little Johnny for being pigmentally follicle-challenged - it might hurt his self esteem later in life. Let's just all inconvenience ourselves for his sake."

Besides - this whole argument is pointless - this isn't about a group of six-year olds. They're just the pawns in this power play. It's about a group of 30-something parents; two of whom decided they want to feed at the public trough. It's about a father demanding the right to send his son to school "However the hell I want to and nobody's gonna tell me otherwise."

I'm sure the kids have already forgotten all about it.

Edited at the last minute:
After re-reading the article for about the 4th time - I just noticed that the kid had the haircut for over a month before the whole hair-washing incident took place. In that case, I would say the time for rightful action had long passed. I was under the initial impression that he showed up on picture day with the new 'do.
Under these circumstances, I would say that he had, for thirty days, established "who he was," and washing the dye out of his hair at this late date was an injustice, and shows inconsistencies in shool policy.
But that doesn't change what I already wrote, either. Just puts me a little closer to the fence.

__________________
If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors:
"If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too."
It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

Tirian

This has all been said already above, but just to chime in...

I'd be pissed if my kids school did something like this w/o permission (which is up for debate in this case.)

Also I must have ruined a bunch of class photos when I was a kid....for being too short. I made the camera man get a shot of everyones knees just to get my face in the shot. - lol

My kids school must be pretty progresive...they have a couple of days a year called "Wild hair day" and students are rewarded for having the wildest hairdo. My kids are trying to convince me to not cut their hair at all all year long just for wild hair day! They want TALL mohawks. funny stuff, and my kids for reference are 8 and 11. So far I have been winning the "lets have regular haircuts" discussions. :-)

kutulu

Poor kid. He got that as a reward for better behavior. Now he sees what the reward does to him. Fuck that school and fuck the people running it.

Lebell

The school is fully within its rights to set appearence standards, especially for children that age.

Likewise, the "rights" of the one six-year-old to wear his hair style a certain way do not extend to ruining the school picture for the other children/parents.

If the mother truly consented then I don't see a problem, but from a litigation standpoint, I probably would have sent the kid home or kept him out of the picture.

Besides, he could always put the blue back in it when he got home and AFTER the class picture.

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