Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnee's hair and the teacher who cut it are white. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents permission has filed a After the haircutting incident, Hoffmeyer removed Jurnee from Ganiard and enrolled her in another school. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press in April. So embarrassed. Librarian On Last Chance Agreement After Cutting Students Hai The librarian who cut Jurnee Hoffmeyers hair was reprimanded by the Board of Education, who agreed to place her on a last chance agreement, in which she would almost certainly be fired if she violates it again in the future. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, a father in Michigan, is suing the school district in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, because a school employee cut his daughter's hair. In July, the Mount Pleasant school boardsaidthe staffer who had cut Jurnee's hair had been reprimanded. She told her father, Jimmy Hoffmeyer that another student had cut her hair on the school bus with scissors taken from the classroom. The Crown Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act) has been referred to the Senate. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Her teaching credentials were suspended twice due to immoral conduct, and she was previously suspended from teaching. This is the second unasked-for chop for a 7-year-old daughter in a week, according to her father. The teacher of a Minnesota middle school cut off the hair of a 12-year-old black boy without the permission of his parents. 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint. MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents permission has filed a $1 million A month after the March incident, Midwest delegate for the National Parents If signed into law, the bill would add language to Michigans Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists as traits historically associated with race.. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. Jurnees mother is white. The suit named Mount Pleasant Public Schools, librarian Jurnee Hoffmeyer. Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents permission has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teachers assistant. According to the complaint4, Jurnees school has long hair regulations, but it is not clear what those regulations are; however, it is likely that the school has implemented a policy to prevent excessive hair growth. Brett joined Michigan Radio in December 2021 as an editor. September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM Jimmy Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white, said in March that a classmate used scissors to cut one side of his daughter's hair. Jurnee's mother is white. The district did not specify how long the agreement would last. A father in Michigan has transferred his biracial 7-year-old daughter to another school after a classmate and a school employee cut his child's curls. The students family is now demanding answers from the school district. The investigation included interviews with district personnel, students and families, as well as a review of video and photos, including posts on social media, the district said. The teacher who cut it also is white, said Hoffmeyer who has two other daughters, ages 8 and 4. After a fellow student cut her head off on the bus on March 24, she returned home with one side of her head cropped open. Mount Pleasant is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. A 12-year-old Minnesota boy walked home from school without his afro. She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.. Mount Pleasant Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Verleger said she has personally apologized to the students family. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. In July, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education said the staffer who cut Jurnees hair was reprimanded and an independent third-party investigation determined that despite good intentions of the worker who cut the girls hair, doing so without permission from her parents and without the knowledge of district administrators violated school policy. Christina Laster, an advocate for the Hoffmeyer family and the policy and legislation director for the National Parents Union, said the employees intent shouldnt matter. "Jurnee had long, curly hair prior to it being cut off," the complaint states. Did they really do an investigation?. He said two days later a teacher cut Jurnee's hair to even it out. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. District administrators also performed an internal review of the incident. Amy Bond, Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education president, said Thursday that the district has not received the complaint. Hoffmeyer is working with the National Parents Union, a national network of parent organizations and activists that advocate to improve the quality of life for children. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. But the district did not say who performed the independent investigation, and Laster said neither Jurnee nor her parents had been contacted by independent investigators. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, arrived home from a Michigan school last month with an unwanted haircut from her teacher, sparking outrage from her father and the A couple of weeks ago, Jurnee Hoffmeyer got her hair cut by another student on the bus home from school, her father, Jimmy, says.It didnt look, arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing, Free legal representation now available for many Detroiters facing eviction, MSU announces new security measures, plan for external review of response to mass shooting on campus, Michigan Senate advances repeal of 1931 abortion ban though the ban is already unenforceable, Michigan Senate passes Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act expansion to add LGBTQ rights, Former Burton police officer charged with hate crime, Mount Pleasant family says daughters haircut by school staff exposes racial bias. On Friday school board officials claimed: Its clear from the third-party investigation and the districts own internal investigation that MPPS employees had good intentions when performing the haircut. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. We believe a last-chance agreement is appropriate given that the employee has an outstanding record of conduct and has never once been reprimanded in more than 20 years of work at Mount Pleasant Public Schools, the board said. The girl's hair was originally cut by a classmate on the school bus but was cut again by a teacher at Ganiard Elementary School days later to "even it out.". Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. Two other employees were aware of the incident but did not report it and have been officially reprimanded. There is no evidence of a racially discriminatory intent, purpose, or motive, or evidence that Plaintiff was denied full and equal enjoyment of goods and services, attorney Piper wrote. 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12. Jurnees mother is white. Read more:Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school stafferMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cutMichigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. In addition, Superintendent Verleger has recommended and the Board has accepted written reprimands for two additional MPPS employees who were aware of the incident but did not alert the students parents or the Administration. Jennifer Gieszinger began teaching part-time at a Tulare County high school in August. LANSING, MI The Michigan Department of Civil Rights has taken notice of a recent incident involving a Mount Pleasant schoolgirl having her hair cut by a fellow student and then by a staff member, incidents that have garnered public outcry. Have something to tell us about this article? The school board said the independent investigation found no racial bias and included interviews with district personnel, students and families and a review of video and photos, including posts on social media. In the complaint, neither of those two school employees is identified by their first names. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. The key findings of the third-party investigation are: The third-party investigation is in addition to a thorough internal review conducted by district administration, including conducting interviews, reviewing videotaped and photographic evidence, consistent with the laws and district policies and procedures. Here's why. WebMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut," Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press. The district "failed to properly train, monitor, direct, discipline and supervise their employees, and knew or should have known that the employees would engage in the complained of behavior given the improper training, customs, procedures and policies, and the lack of discipline that existed for employees," according to the lawsuit. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgement. Two days later after complaining to the principal and having Jurnees hair styled at a salon with an asymmetrical cut to make the differing lengths less obvious Jurnee arrived home with the hair on the other side cut. Michigan school district confident facts will prevail in $1 million racial discrimination lawsuit in girls haircutting incident, Father of girl, 7, who had hair cut off by school staffer files $1 million lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, Even as local efforts increase, hair discrimination is still legal in Michigan, Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school staffer, Michigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut, Michigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. The haircutting was done without permission from the students parents or consulting with school administrators. Margaret Gieszinger, a 53-year-old science and chemistry teacher, was arrested on Wednesday in Santa Clara. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents' permission has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teacher's assistant. There could be a few reasons why the teacher cut Jurnees hair. The teacher had been cutting the boys hair without permission from his parents. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. A white employee and white administrators being investigated by a nearly all-white school board who hired an unknown independent investigator is not an appropriate lens by which to evaluate this situation. We are confident that the facts will prevail given our districts appropriate and aggressive response to the incident and the findings of the third-party investigation that was conducted, Bond said in a statement. The district did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails asking who conducted the investigation and whether they contacted the Hoffmeyer family. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. It alleges that the biracial girls constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. The teacher cut her hair to even it out.". The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut in school without her parents' consent has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian The staffer was accused of performing a modern-day scalping by a parents group, but school district officials in Michigan announced that after a third-party investigation into the incident, the librarian did not act with racial bias and therefore will keep her job. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnees hair and the teacher who cut it are white. Verleger added that she has personally apologized to the students family. In 2018, a New Jersey high school student wasforced to cut off his dreadlocksto compete in a wrestling match. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughters hair, tweeted another. We believe a last chance agreement is appropriate given that the employee has an outstanding record of conduct and has never once been reprimanded in more than 20 years of work at MPPS, the board wrote. Jimmy Hoffmeyer on Tuesday, Sept. 14, filed his federal lawsuit on behalf of daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer in the Western District of Michigan. Legal Statement. Because she had to go back to class like that," he added. In an interview with the Associated Press, Mount Pleasant father Jimmy Hoffmeyer said his daughter Jurnee arrived home from school on March 24 with the hair on one side of her head cut off. Hoffmeyer says the classmate and the teacher are white. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. Michigan is one of the states considering a CROWN Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act to protect women and girls who are frequently discriminated against for wearing natural hair. Jurnee's mother is white. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said Monday he also is considering taking his daughter, Jurnee, out of Mount Pleasant Public Schools and enrolling her in a private school. The acts name is a backronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington have adopted the Crown Act as law. As your Board of Education, we are committed to ensuring our schools are safe and welcoming for all our students. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. It was a normal day at school when the teacher walked into the classroom and saw one of her students with a haircut that she didnt like. I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, Hoffmeyer said at the time. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. Mount Pleasant Public Schools full statement is below: At Mt. I would of lost my freaking mind. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. The incident occurred in March when seven-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from school with the hair on one side of her head cut off. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. 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