A white elementary school librarian who cut the hair of a biracial girl will be allowed to keep her job despite an outcry over the incident. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut., I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, he continued. "She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.". Mr Hoffmeyer is Black and white, and Jurnees mother is white. She was crying, Hoffmeyer said. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut., I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair. The suit named Mount Pleasant Public Schools, librarian Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users 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. 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. To achieve our mission of providing a world-class education to all MPPS students, we must continuously strive to improve and acknowledge when we have not lived up to our own high standards. Superintendent Verleger has also personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district. She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. The teacher who cut it also is white, said Hoffmeyer who has two other daughters, ages 8 and 4. Hoffmeyer says the classmate and the teacher are white. ICE Limitations. The NPU is working to raise awareness of the Crown Act, a bill that bans race-based hair discrimination, which is already law in some states. The employee who cut Hoffmeyers hair acted with good intentions, as did two other district employees who were aware of the haircut but did not alert Hoffmeyers parents or the school district, the board said in a statement emailed Friday. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgement. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. After the haircutting incident, Hoffmeyer removed Jurnee from Ganiard and enrolled her in another school. It alleges that the biracial girl's constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. Her teaching credentials were suspended twice due to immoral conduct, and she was previously suspended from teaching. The father of a seven-year-old girl named Jurnee Hoffmeyer is filing a $1 million lawsuit against her previous school over her haircut, which was done without permission. 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. WebMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions are unacceptable and show a lack of judgement on the part of our two employees, Verleger wrote. A month after the March incident, Midwest delegate for the National Parents Union Bernita Bradley, who is working with Mr Hoffmeyer, described the incident as a modern-day scalping and says that Jurnee has been left traumatised. Amy Bond, Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education president, said Thursday that the district has not received the complaint. Technicians are currently working on the problem. 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 Mount Pleasant School Districts superintendent dismissed the allegations as an example of misinformation. Under the Fourteenth Amendment, courts frequently conclude that a students hairstyle is a form of free expression, or that policies in question violate a students rights to freedom of expression or equal protection. Following the incident, Hoffmeyer is appealing for justice for his daughters hair cut at school. 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. Jurnee told her father that the library teacher, who is white, had cut off the rest of her hair. The teacher was immediately suspended and is currently under investigation. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. The incident occurred just after the boy returned home from school; his parents were made aware of it when he returned home. Jurnee Hoffmeyer on March 24 arrived home from Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., with the hair on one All rights reserved (About Us). Jurnee said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press earlier this year. The third-party independent investigation included interviews with and feedback from district personnel, students, families as well as a review of video and photographic evidence including social media posts. 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. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. As your Board, we have made every effort to address this matter with the seriousness and care it deserves and with the transparency our community expects, the board said. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions were unacceptable and show a lack of judgment on the part of our two employees, Verleger said in a statement. Mean Lori Lightfoot Beetlejuice memes go viral as Chicago mayor concedes, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. Two days before the recent settlement conference, defense counsel filed a motion seeking the cases dismissal. As your Board, we have made every effort to address this matter with the seriousness and care it deserves and with the transparency our community expects. IE 11 is not supported. Jurnees mother is white. Hoffmeyer, who is Black, said in March that his daughter Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with much of the hair on one side of her head cut. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. Because their class 11th-B will be taking the next board examination, students are advised to keep their long hair at home. Did they really do an investigation?. Hair like Jurnees is too often viewed as a problem to be solved., The school board said the staff member who cut Hoffmeyers hair will be placed on a last chance agreement, meaning that any future violations will likely result in termination.. Two days after the bus incident and after her father complained to the principal and took Jurnee to a salon to style her hair in an asymmetrical cut to make the differing lengths less obvious Jurnee arrived home with her hair cut on the other side. Most schools have a dress code that teachers are required to follow. The barber arrived with his mobile barber shop to fix the boys hair. "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. ", "Our kind of hair, you can't just wet down and cut it because and that's when I feel like they should have, even if they were trying to do it in the kindest of their heart, once they seen the outcome, they should have been like, yeah we messed up," he told ABC12. WRSX 91.3 Port Huron is off the air due to network issues. "She said she didn't have the authority to do anything," Hoffmeyer said in reference to a conversation he had with the Ganiard Elementary School principal. I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. Jimmy Hoffmeyer on Tuesday, Sept. 14, filed his federal lawsuit on behalf of daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer in the Western District of Michigan. 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education said, Mom objects when 4-year-old son not allowed to wear braids at school, Many Ethnicities founder creates products for different hair types and textures. In this conversation. 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 community alike. Oh, hell NO!! 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. 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. I know alot of yall want to kno more but this is all I can say at the moment but will update when I canjust want to keep ppl aware in the mean time. In 2019, an 11-year-old cheerleader in Coloradowas cut from a private cheer teambecause she didn't wear her hair in a ponytail like her White and Latina teammates. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. "We should probably call him and let him know what just happened.". Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnee's hair and the teacher who cut it are white. 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. Twitter users have noted that the teacher shouldnt have cut Jurnees hair, but some have mixed opinions about Jimmys racism allegations against the school and its staff. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. Furthermore, the schools hair regulations may be in violation of the students equal protection rights because they may be based on a personal preference (such as the students hair length) rather than a legitimate educational interest. When asked, she said a classmate used scissors to chop her hair off on the bus., However, two days later, Jurnee arrived home with her hair on the other side cut as well and told her father that her teacher did it., Jimmy told at the time: She was crying. And she said not identifying racial bias as a factor that contributed to the haircut means the district is missing chances to stamp out racism. To achieve our mission of providing a world-class education to all MPPS students, we must continuously strive to improve and acknowledge when we have not lived up to our own high standards., 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 short hair required by schools in India is an attempt to give students a proper dress code and a proper hairstyle. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white, said in March that a classmate used scissors to cut one side of his daughter's hair. In 2018, a New Jersey high school student wasforced to cut off his dreadlocksto compete in a wrestling match. The librarian has been placed on a last chance employment notice and will be dismissed if there is any future infraction. A Michigan father has moved his 7-year-old biracial daughter from one school to another after the childs hair was cut on separate occasions by a classmate and a teacher. If a teacher cuts a students hair without permission, it could be considered assault and the teacher could be fired. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. 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. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. In the spirit of transparency, we are presenting the key findings from this investigation and resulting discipline as recommended by Superintendent Jennifer Verleger with support from the school board. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. Mount Pleasant Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Verleger said she has personally apologized to the students family. Parents are upset that they were not informed about the incident and that they are eager for more information. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. Now it's like it's just gone.". She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. Other schools have drawn unwanted attention for policing the hairstyles of students of color. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Hoffmeyer said he filed an incident report with the Mount Pleasant police, but as of Monday no officer had contacted him to follow up on the complaint. As the girls father claims, Ms. Moggs,urnees library teacher, cut off her hair with the assistance of Ms. Jacobs, the schools teachers assistant. "She said, 'But Dad, it was the teacher.' The board ruled to place Mogg on a last chance employment agreement, during which time any future violations will likely result in termination. Superintendent Jennifer Verleger recommended the discipline and was supported by the board. Two days after the bus incident and 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. 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. Piper also wrote her clients were entitled to qualified immunity. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. File photo: Students walk to board a school bus in Manhattan's East Village. That librarian is now a named defendant in a $1 million civil rights lawsuit filed by the girls father. Jimmy Hoffmeyer of Michigan filed the case on behalf of his daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer. The lawsuit claims that the librarian, along with the school district and a teachers assistant, violated Jurnees civil rights. The library employee cut Jurnees hair on March 26, without obtaining permission from the Jurnees parents or consulting with school administrators. In thelawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, Jimmy Hoffmeyer alleges his biracial daughter's constitutional rights were violated. The students family is now demanding answers from the school district. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.. Some private schools may have a dress code or code of conduct that includes stipulations about hair length for students, while others may not. 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. Jimmy Hoffmeyer seeks $1 million from Mount Pleasant Public Schools, alleging it violated his biracial daughters constitutional rights. "We will aggressively defend against these baseless allegations in court and will not allow this to distract us from our mission to provide every child a world-class education that prepares them for college and careers.". 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. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, and its mission. "Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughter's hair. "I asked what happened and said, 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair,'" Hoffmeyer said at the time. The Mount Pleasant Public Schools board commissioned an independent third-party investigation into why a library staff member cut 7-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyers hair at school on March 26. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgment. 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 Jurnee's mother is white. The parent of Jurnee Hoffmeyer, a 7-year-old girl whose hair was cut by a school librarian, has sued the Michigan school district for $1 million. 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. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, The Crown Act challenges hair discrimination, The Crown Act seeks to protect against hair discrimination. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later the... 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