Hayleigh Black is 16 years old and has been dying her hair red for the past three years. A tenth grade student at the Muscle Shoals High School in northwest Alabama, the teen had no problems being an active member of the school’s marching band as its flute player all these years – in spite of dyeing her hair red. However, when she went back to school after the summer vacations this year, she was called in to the principal’s office barely half an hour into class sessions. At the office, the teenager was told she could no longer attend classes owing to her red colored hair – which according to the principal was “too bright and distracting,” reports Reuters .
An inconsolable Hayleigh Black was sent back home and was asked to return after she changed her hair color. Her mother Kim Boyd who had dropped her to school only a few minutes ago was called in again to take her back.
As the teen recounted her ordeal at school, “Her lips started quivering and her eyes started watering”, Kim revealed. “I’m brokenhearted for my child that had her feet kicked out from under her on first day of school,” she told Reuters .
According to the official policy at the Muscle Shoals High School, hair colors that are unnatural and distracting are banned. In the past, the school had asked students with bright orange and purple hair to wash off the colors. According to Superintendent Brian Lindsey, the school had sent four other students home on the same day for the same reason – for violating the part of the dress code that reads, “Hair which has been dyed a bright or distracting color are not allowed”
Kim Boyd, however, adds that this is not true in the case of red hair as it is a natural color.
“But red is a natural human hair color,” she said. “It can be grown.”
Also, this is not the first time that Hayleigh had dyed her hair red. Like mentioned earlier, she had been doing it for close to three years.
“Nothing was ever said last year. Never got any calls, never sent home anything that said it had to be changed up until today.” Boyd told local TV station WAFF-TV .
According to NY Daily News , Hayleigh has decided to change her hair color to a more “natural” one so that she doesn’t miss school .
However, her mother has taken the legal recourse and has hired a lawyer and has sent a letter to the school asking them to erase her attendance record and to allow red hair in school premises.
Do you think it was right on the school’s part to enforce this hair color rule on Hayleigh Black in this manner?
[Image Via WAFF]