If she is convicted of any of the six counts, she could face up to three years and six months in prison. 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. It is also New Jerseys preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. 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. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. 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.. 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.. It is best to check with the school directly to inquire about their policies regarding hair length for students. So embarrassed. If a teacher cuts a students hair without permission, it could be considered assault and the teacher could be fired. Two days before the recent settlement conference, defense counsel filed a motion seeking the cases dismissal. Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press Jurnee came home from school March 24 with most of the hair on one side of her head cut. The girl told her dad another student cut her hair with scissors on the bus. Hoffmeyer filed a complaint with the principal and had his daughters hair styled at a salon to even out the differing lengths. Laster said failing to speak with the Hoffmeyer family means investigators have an incomplete picture of what motivated the haircut and how it affected Jurnee. 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. Ingham County on March 23 passed a resolution to become the first county in the state to ban hair discrimination against public employees. 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. Newsweek has contacted the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District, Ganiard Elementary School and Jimmy Hoffmeyer for comment. He is also suing for racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. Have something to tell us about this article? Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. 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. "I'm not one to try to make things about race," said Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. The teacher was immediately suspended and is currently under investigation. It alleges that the biracial girls constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. On video, the teacher can be seen cutting the hair of a student seated in the front row of a classroom at University Preparatory High School in California. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. The teacher of a Minnesota middle school cut off the hair of a 12-year-old black boy without the permission of his parents. News provided by The Associated Press. Hoffmeyer said the explanations he has received from the principal and the district have done little to appease him. Mr Hoffmeyer took his daughter to a barber, who gave her an asymmetric haircut to help even out her hair. A teacher at a school in Georgia was caught on video cutting a black students hair while he was asleep in class. With the investigation concluded, we can now move forward together as one MPPS family and community dedicated to helping all students achieve and succeed. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. It is unclear what will happen to her, but many are calling for her to be fired. Who do you think cut Jurnees hair? This is the second unasked-for chop for a 7-year-old daughter in a week, according to her father. After allegedly pressuring a student into getting a haircut, a California teacher was fired and charged with six misdemeanor counts of child cruelty. Because she had to go back to class like that," he added. Treat our children as you would treat your very own is the way to offer care, Laster wrote. Jurnee said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press earlier this year. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. "I asked what happened and said 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair.' Later, the schools principal told him the most that could happen to the library teacher was a note in her work file, Hoffmeyer said. Her teaching credentials were suspended twice due to immoral conduct, and she was previously suspended from teaching. Parents are upset that they were not informed about the incident and that they are eager for more information. Because of this, the distinction between military schools and army students is known as their distinctiveness and uniqueness.. 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.". 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. 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. Margaret Gieszinger, a 53-year-old science and chemistry teacher, was arrested on Wednesday in Santa Clara. Did they really do an investigation?. 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. 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.. Im not one to try to make things about race, he said. 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 Mount Pleasant School Districts superintendent dismissed the allegations as an example of misinformation. The racial undertones make it worse, but honestly, why would you ever cut any kids hair without asking the parents?. Jurnee Hoffmeyer. The act was sponsored by Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, and first introduced in 2019, then reintroduced in February 2021. "We should probably call him and let him know what just happened.". We truly appreciate the support and patience by our students, staff and families while an independent, third-party investigation was conducted regarding an incident at Ganiard Elementary School, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education said in a statement on Friday, MLive reports. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. Hoffmeyer took his little girl to a hair salon to make the differing lengths less obvious but was enraged to discover that two days later, a teacher had also taken to his daughter's hair. 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. One tweeted: Father sues for $1M after Michigan teacher cuts 7-year-old daughters hair Teacher should not have cut that childs hair, thats for sure. 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. Two days later, Jurnee returned home from school in tears with all of her long curly hair cut down to within a couple of inches of her scalp. 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint. 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. Jurnee Hoffmeyer on March 24 arrived home from Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., with the hair on one If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. This teacher should be fired immediately. The school board, on the other hand, has determined that jurors hair was not cut to coincide with her race. 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, the board wrote. Now, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools board said its seen the results of both an internal and an external investigation. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgment. Most schools have a dress code that teachers are required to follow. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. This is a complete abuse of power. 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 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. WebMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut. She's having trouble sleeping now and always wants to be with us," Hoffmeyer told the Black Wall Street Times, which states Jurnee is in first grade. Amy Bond, the Mount Pleasant school board president, said Thursday the district has not received the lawsuit. 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. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. File photo: Students walk to board a school bus in Manhattan's East Village. She now attends another school. Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. The two employees who knew about the haircut but did not report it will have written reprimands placed in their files, the board said. Hoffmeyer says the classmate and the teacher are white. Mr Hoffmeyer told the Associated Press that neither he nor his daughter were questioned as part of the investigation. 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. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. 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 and a teacher's assistant. "She was crying. The teacher who cut it also is white, said Hoffmeyer who has two other daughters, ages 8 and 4. Pleasant Public Schools, we strive each day to ensure our students can learn and achieve in an inclusive, safe environment free from harassment, discrimination, bigotry or intolerance. I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, Hoffmeyer said at the time. Now, Hoffmeyer is suing both Ganiard Elementary teachers along with their school district for $1 million, according to the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Michigan. "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologised.. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. 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. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. 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.