We Allow Small Parts, But Not Excessively Long Parts" - Boy Faced Suspension Ove

We often talk endlessly about little girls being put out of school or ridiculed because of their hair. A common word often used amongst school officials is ‘distraction’.

Well this time, the latest “distraction” is seven-year-old boy, Rashaad Hunter of Birmingham, Alabama who faced suspension for a part that he has in his hair.

According to The Root, the young man is an honor roll student who got his hair cut neatly with a slight afro style and a part. The part is considered “too long’ and breaks the schools rules on dress code.

“He was like upset, and he said I had to come get him out of school because he was being suspended,” Rashaad’s mother, Keisha Rembert told WBRC. “He was walking with his head down, when I saw him he was teary-eyed at first because he doesn’t want to be suspended for no part in his head. I told him, ‘Don’t hold your head down…continue to make these A’s and B’s because that part is nothing.”

The School’s Superintendent Dr. Fred Primm, said that defining what is an acceptable hairstyle is not cut and dry and so they have been handling each child on a case by case basis. What is clear is that they do not allow any sort of designs in the child’s hair but according to the child’s mother the part does not constitute a design.

“He was pulled out of class, saying that he had a design in his head but it really wasn’t a design, it was a part. They need to notate or clarify what is a design? Spongebob, a part, a tennis shoe, whatever.”

According to the school official:

“We allow small parts, but not excessively long parts that are done as designs. That part in that young man’s hair would be considered a design.”

The good news is that the principal decided not to suspend Rashaad but we can imagine going through this when you have done everything you can to be on top of your academic game, cannot be easy for any child.

As parents we are are often confused about what to do about our kids, especially when we like to give them some level of autonomy on how they want to look balanced with how they naturally look.

We understand that there are rules but from the picture above, that part does not warrant a disruption in a child’s education, that is just ridiculous in my opinion and sends the wrong message.

Comment below on what you think, was that part such a violation of school rules that the child should have been suspended? Or would a note to mom have been sufficient?