Is it just me, or does it seem like dress codes are getting stricter and stricter these days? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for some limitations on kids' fashion choices, like keeping underwear covered up and so on.
But it just seems like the rules are getting a little bit ridiculous now! First, this adorable 5-year-old is sent home for being too scantily clad, and then a high school boy can’t wear the American flag? Where does it end?
Now, another similar story is emerging from a Utah elementary school, where a 7-year-old boy was disciplined for his hairstyle, which teachers deemed “distracting.” The offending haircut? A barely-noticeable Mohawk.
Little Jakobe Sandin rocks the “controversial” hairstyle as a representation of his Native American heritage. Teachers say the ‘do will distract his fellow children because it’s unusual, but Jakobe’s parents point out that the inch-high cut is hardly a major talking piece, nor is it noted as unacceptable in the dress code.
Furthermore, they don’t understand why Jakobe’s culture should be excluded from school. In fact, they even wrote to a local tribal authority for a letter confirming the Mohawk as a reflection of his heritage.
Now, Jakobe is finally back in school, hairstyle intact, but not without a fight. In an age where kids have plenty of stylistic freedom, we’re thinking that his fellow second-graders will barely notice.
h/t: Washington Post
It all started when mom Teyawnna Sanden got a puzzling call from Jakobe's school, Arrowhead Elementary, regarding her youngest child's hairstyle. She took to Facebook to express her frustration, posting: "So f'n irritated right now. I get a call from the boys' school and she said Kobe's not allowed to have a Mohawk…that's it's school policy. WTH! Really? It's hair! Let's see how this goes…." [sic]
Arrowhead administrators felt that students would be distracted, telling local news station KSTU, "We had students that weren’t used to it. They had called that out. So the teacher brought the student to my attention."
Jakobe's father Gary Sanden responded immediately to school administrators, saying, “I told the superintendent I was in no means going to cut his hair because it’s a symbol of who we are,” referring to the family's Native American heritage.
Teyawnna and Gary Sanden took the school's advice and reached out to the local tribal authority for confirmation that the Mohawk hairstyle is a part of Native American culture. Seneca leader William Canella wrote back with a ringing endorsement:
“It is common for Seneca boys to wear a Mohawk because after years of discrimination and oppression, they are proud to share who they are. It’s disappointing that your school does not view diversity in a positive manner, and it is our hope that Jakobe does not suffer from any discrimination by the school administration or faculty as a result of his hair cut.”
Now, Jakobe is back in school, haircut intact, but the Sanden’s experiencing is stirring debate about dress code interpretations across the U.S. school system.
What do you think? Were Jakobe’s teachers too quick to discipline him for his hair, or should his parents have stuck to a more conservative cut? Add your opinion to the poll below — and don’t forget to SHARE on Facebook so that your friends can weigh in, too!
You tell us, is this haircut inappropriate for school?
