Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP. Hoffmeyer said the explanations he has received from the principal and the district have done little to appease him. "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.". There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific private school in India in question. He added that he also received a call from the school district's superintendent about a week later offering to have "I'm sorry" cards mailed to the family but "got mad and hung up" on the call. The students family is now demanding answers from the school district. 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.". 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 reprimands were to go in the employees files. Maybe the teacher was trying to even out her hair, or maybe Jurnee had lice. Margaret Gieszinger, 52, a chemistry teacher in California, was caught on camera forcibly cutting a students hair and throwing it behind her while singing the national anthem. 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. As the girls father claims, Ms. Moggs,urnees library teacher, cut off her hair with the assistance of Ms. Jacobs, the schools teachers assistant. The teacher was immediately suspended and is currently under investigation. Legal Statement. 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. 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. Amy Bond, the Mount Pleasant school board president, said Thursday the district has not received the lawsuit. The union has called on the school to issue a formal apology to the family "for violating their rights and cutting Jurnee's hair without parental advisement or consent" and "formal consequences to the educators and staff who decided to act without parental permission, guidance or consent.". Professional development will also be a key part of learning from this experience and improving as a district. In 2018, a New Jersey high school student wasforced to cut off his dreadlocksto compete in a wrestling match. 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). IE 11 is not supported. All rights reserved (About Us). All three employees have apologized, the board said. 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). 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. Hoffmeyer said he filed an incident report with the Mount Pleasant Police Department, but as of Monday no officer had contacted him to follow up on the complaint. Jurnee Hoffmeyer arrived home from Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant with hair missing just before spring break, her father, Jimmy, said in April. This may violate the students liberty rights because the school could be infringing on their right to free expression. She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.. The two employees who knew about the haircut but did not report it will have written reprimands placed in their files, the board said. 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.. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. 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. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said a teacher cut his 7-year-old daughters hair without his permission. It alleges that the biracial girl's constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. 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. 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. The incident occurred just after the boy returned home from school; his parents were made aware of it when he returned home. 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. 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.. "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. The Mount Pleasant School Districts superintendent dismissed the allegations as an example of misinformation. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Hoffmeyer said the girl who cut Jurnee's hair and the teacher who cut it are white. WNEM For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But Hoffmeyer said the district never questioned him or Jurnee. 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 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. "https://t.co/0fXblhhfRR, In other news, Mean Lori Lightfoot Beetlejuice memes go viral as Chicago mayor concedes, The Official Hollyoaks Autumn Trailer | Hollyoaks, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rDJrPqz4Kuk/hqdefault.jpg. As a result of the districts investigation, the employee who cut the students hair will be placed on a last chance agreement during which time any future violations will likely result in termination. She said but dad, it was the teacher. The teacher cut her hair to even it out, he added further., Jimmy said he informed the principal of the school, but he wasnt pleased with the explanation he got., Months later, Jurnees father is filing a $1 Million lawsuit against the school district and two staff members who were involved in cutting his daughters hair., Jimmy, who is Black, has reportedly spoken about alleged racial discrimination against his daughter in the lawsuit., According to MLive.com, the lawsuit states that 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., However, an investigation by the school district in July concluded that the teacher had not acted with racial bias, according to BBC.. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, and its mission. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. It's clear from the third-party investigation and the districts own internal investigation that MPPS employees had good intentions when performing the haircut. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He said he was told the school would talk to the parents of the classmate involved in the first haircut and that a note would be placed in the teacher's work file. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. The barber arrived with his mobile barber shop to fix the boys hair. This incident has caused a lot of uproar, with people on both sides of the issue. A month after the March incident, Midwest delegate for the National Parents I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. 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. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. 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. I would of lost my freaking mind. 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. 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. Because their class 11th-B will be taking the next board examination, students are advised to keep their long hair at home. This degree will give you the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective elementary school teacher. If she is convicted of any of the six counts, she could face up to three years and six months in prison. 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.. Technicians are currently working on the problem. Treat our children as you would treat your very own is the way to offer care, Laster wrote. Big Lew arrived at the boys house to get his mobile barber business working. But it has nothing to do with White, Black, or Bi-racial. There is no evidence that Defendants actions shocks the conscience and did not result in an injury so severe so as to constitute a substantive due process violation under the Fourteenth Amendment.. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. After the haircutting incident, Hoffmeyer removed Jurnee from Ganiard and enrolled her in another school. 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. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. This teacher should be fired immediately. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgement. Jurnee told her father that the library teacher, who is white, had cut off the rest of her hair. With the investigation concluded, we can now move forward together as one MPPS family and community dedicated to helping all students achieve and succeed. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Mr Hoffmeyer is Black and white, and Jurnees mother is white. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He said two days later a teacher cut Jurnee's hair to even it out. Powered and implemented by FactSet. A teacher who cut a students hair is a very bad teacher. / MoneyWatch. Newsweek has contacted the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District, Ganiard Elementary School and Jimmy Hoffmeyer for comment. People can still act on racial bias even with the best intentions, Laster said. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. It is best to check with the school directly to inquire about their policies regarding hair length for students. As a result of the incident and the third-party investigation, our school policies have been clarified to help ensure incidents like this do not happen again. 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. 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. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologised.. Our main purpose with the independent investigation has been to bring the facts to light, learn from this incident and make our district even stronger. And two Texas high school studentswere suspended from schoolin 2020 because they refused to cut off their dreadlocks. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Margaret Gieszinger, a 53-year-old science and chemistry teacher, was arrested on Wednesday in Santa Clara. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It will also prepare you to, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is one of the worlds leading research universities. In a statement released late Tuesday, District Superintendent Jennifer Verleger confirmed Hoffmeyers story, adding the childs teacher was aware of the library employees plan to cut the students hair. 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. 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. The key takeaways in both reviews are consistent. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. 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.. Site, we may receive compensation have apologized, the State University of New Jersey, is biracial go. 2020 because they refused to cut off the rest of her hair and. The students liberty rights because the school could be infringing on their right to free expression it will be... 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