Post: #1

No fancy thread title or funny pictures. Just further evidence of public school officials overstepping their boundaries and attempting to dictate to parents how they should raise their kids. The military is a sacred cow in US culture, they should have been able to easily foresee this ending up a news story.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/2...e-haircut/

Quote: Adam Stinnett looks up to his older stepbrother – a soldier in the U.S. Army. So when it came time to get a haircut, the seven-year-old told his mother he wanted a basic military-style cut. And that’s exactly what he got – high and tight – just like his stepbrother.

Adam got his haircut on March 8. On March 9, his mother got a letter from the principal of Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary School in McMinnville, Tennessee.

It seems they were not all that thrilled with the second grader’s new hairdo. The principal told Amy Stinnett that her son’s haircut was distracting – and needed to be fixed.

Amy refused to comply.

The following day, she was summoned to the principal’s office where she was given an ultimatum.

“We were told that we had to either cut his hair or he could not return to school,” she said.

Amy tried to explain to the principal that her son’s haircut was meant to emulate his older brother. But her explanation was dismissed and the principal demanded that the boy’s hair be “in compliance with our rules.”
“I have the utmost respect for the military and its members,” the principal wrote in an email to Amy. “However, we are not a military school and the boy’s haircut is against our rules.”

She tried to reason with the principal – but it was a lost cause. So Amy complied with the school’s demands.

“In order to fix the high and tight, I had to shave his head – like he has no hair,” she told me.

Apparently the principal at Bobby Ray Elementary School doesn’t seem to think a bald-headed second grader is going to cause a distraction.

But Amy also did something else – she contacted the Southern Standard newspaper. And as it turned out – the pen really is mightier than the clippers.

“Military hair cut deemed distracting by Bobby Ray Elementary” was the headline – and boy did it create some controversy around McMinnville.

“They shamed my son and they shamed a lot of military people – that’s how I feel about it,” Amy said. She also would like the school to apologize to her son.

The Warren County School District responded to the newspaper story with a four-paragraph statement telling folks they could not comment on the incident or the investigation – on the advice of their attorneys.

“This is an internal school matter and the administration of the school district has been advised to address it as such from this point forward,” the statement read.

While the district does not have a policy about hair styles, individual schools are given authority to make such decisions.

“Neither Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary, nor any school in Warren County School District, prohibits military haircuts,” the statement declares.

Well, someone at the district office might want to clue in the principal -- because according to her email – military style haircuts are clearly against the rules.

To be clear – the school district cannot comment on matters involving students.

I have also received correspondence from several sources who tell me the principal was simply caught between a rock and a hard place – implementing a policy that was already on the books. These sources also tell me the principal is a patriot – someone who supports the military and loves America.

In other words – it sounds as though the school district is throwing the principal under the bus for a rule that she had nothing to do with.

It’s a pretty sad state of affairs in McMinnville – especially when you take into account that Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary School is named after a local war hero.
Navy Corpsman David Robert “Bobby” Ray was killed in action during the Vietnam War. His final act of heroism was to use his body to shield a Marine from a grenade. The Marine survived. Ray did not. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

“We are extremely proud that Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary was named in honor of a true American hero,” the school district stated.

And yet, they chose to shame a seven-year-old boy who wanted to look like a soldier. That school district doesn’t know the first thing about honor.

Post: #2

Meanwhile, Skrillex is considered just fine...

Post: #3

Here's a picture for those that don't want to scrub through the video.
(Wtf is up with news sites making you watch a video to see the content their articles talk about?)



edited for size

Post: #4

So apparently the most clean-cut look in the history of clean-cut looks is now "distracting". If you can't wear a buzz cut without breaking code, the code is broken.

Post: #5

In all honesty though, if the school has rules regarding haircuts and they're clearly laid out, then this mom was in the fault. If she didn't like the rules, I'm sure there's a way to get them changed.

Post: #6

(03-28-2015 01:13 PM)Genghis Khan Wrote:  In all honesty though, if the school has rules regarding haircuts and they're clearly laid out, then this mom was in the fault. If she didn't like the rules, I'm sure there's a way to get them changed.

if that is the case, id be willing to bet the terminology in the rules says "distracting haircuts not allowed"

I.E. general terminology that allows the administration to do what they please.

Also, was the parent informed prior the head shaving? If that was my son and they didn't inform my prior and ask permission to shave his head, I would lose my shit.

And last point, how fucked is the public education system that a boy can't even have a masculine haircut these days?

Post: #7

If it is public school they can't get away with that..that is why the school district is keeping silent. They can get sued!

Post: #8

This is not as bad as it looks, I think.

If you wish to be part of any group, you need to abide by its cultural rules. Although a high-and-tight might be fine (I still have a very mild version of one) for most purposes, if you're a student in a school, the school may have its own rules.
I think the school just wants its kids to have middle-of-the-road, conservative haircuts. Not extreme high-and-tights. It is distracting, and looks odd.

The mother should have respected that. But of course, these days, you can't say anything to parents without some sort of back-talk.

My answer might be different if I find out that there were other students with bullshit attention-whoring haircuts. But for now, that's how I see this.

Post: #9

Being that 90% of the kids would not know what type of haircut that is, I find the "distraction" excuse to be bullshit. And even the 10% who do know wouldn't care: they're kids.

Post: #10

(03-28-2015 02:37 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  If you wish to be part of any group, you need to abide by its cultural rules. Although a high-and-tight might be fine (I still have a very mild version of one) for most purposes, if you're a student in a school, the school may have its own rules.
I think the school just wants its kids to have middle-of-the-road, conservative haircuts. Not extreme high-and-tights. It is distracting, and looks odd.

The mother should have respected that. But of course, these days, you can't say anything to parents without some sort of back-talk.

A public school is not a cultural group. Its mission is to educate any child residing in the district. The mom is well within her right to challenge a pointless rule.

Post: #11

I still can't figure out if there was or wasn't a rule against high-and-tight's.

-“Neither Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary, nor any school in Warren County School District, prohibits military haircuts,”
-according to her email – military style haircuts are clearly against the rules
-“we are not a military school and the boy’s haircut is against our rules.”

?

Post: #12

And yet I bet there are dudes in that school walking around looking like this:

Post: #13

In elementary school back in the 80's the kids would come to school with all kinds of fucked up haircuts and clothes..rat tails, full on mullets, white "jew fros", black kids with afro picks in their hair, kid n' play style fades, long bang skater cuts. The only time the teachers said anything was when this girl came with these super skimpy booty (almost lingerie) shorts. Everyone even the guys thought that was a bit too slutty.

This just shows once again how lame things have become in the present day.

Post: #14

(03-28-2015 03:51 PM)Cunnilinguist Wrote:  And yet I bet there are dudes in that school walking around looking like this:

Hahaha... I totally rocked that style back in the 90's. Girls used to compliment it, too.

Post: #15

(03-28-2015 12:58 PM)dog Wrote:  

edited for size

You can't edit her size.

Post: #16

Principal is this dumb broad, who thinks a bald kid is less distracting than a high and tight.

Post: #17

Is this a public school? Sounds like the ACLU should be involved.

Post: #18

(03-28-2015 02:37 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  This is not as bad as it looks, I think.

If you wish to be part of any group, you need to abide by its cultural rules. Although a high-and-tight might be fine (I still have a very mild version of one) for most purposes, if you're a student in a school, the school may have its own rules.
I think the school just wants its kids to have middle-of-the-road, conservative haircuts. Not extreme high-and-tights. It is distracting, and looks odd.

The mother should have respected that. But of course, these days, you can't say anything to parents without some sort of back-talk.

My answer might be different if I find out that there were other students with bullshit attention-whoring haircuts. But for now, that's how I see this.

what is distracting about a haircut?

its not like the kid is walking around with a neon dildo strapped to his forehead while puking out skittles on the reg.

If someone can't focus on academics because of a kids haircut, they are going nowhere in life regardless.

Post: #19

(03-28-2015 12:58 PM)dog Wrote:  Here's a picture for those that don't want to scrub through the video.
(Wtf is up with news sites making you watch a video to see the content their articles talk about?)



edited for size

Damn it. I tried to edit it for size but it turns out you can't take the fat out of a fat chick.

Post: #20

Welcome to this thread, please feel free to read the above posts.

Post: #21

^^^ Thanks. I did.

Post: #22

(03-29-2015 09:01 AM)AntiTrace Wrote:  its not like the kid is walking around with a neon dildo strapped to his forehead while puking out skittles on the reg.

Meanwhile, at the local gay pride parade. . .