The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The barber trimmed Jurnees hair for free and said further work would be done to even out the hair once more grew in. 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. 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. It will also prepare you to, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is one of the worlds leading research universities. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary actions in accordance without school policies and procedures.. The Crown Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act) has been referred to the Senate. Jurnee's mother is white. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. Technicians are currently working on the problem. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. In the complaint, neither of those two school employees is identified by their first names. The barber arrived with his mobile barber shop to fix the boys hair. 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. 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. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. 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. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. Newsweek has contacted the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District, Ganiard Elementary School and Jimmy Hoffmeyer for comment. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press in April. The school board also said an independent investigation determined that, despite the "good intentions" of the worker who cut the girl's hair, the employee had violated school policy by cutting the student's hair without permission from her parents and without the knowledge of district administrators. WebMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut. The haircutting was done without permission from the students parents or consulting with school administrators. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. On March 24, Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side cut. The best degree for an elementary school teacher is a bachelors degree in elementary education. 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. 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. "I asked what happened and said, 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair,'" Hoffmeyer said at the time. 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. IE 11 is not supported. 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. In July, the Mount Pleasant school boardsaidthe staffer who had cut Jurnee's hair had been reprimanded. 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. Two days later, Jurnee returned home a second time with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Jimmy Hoffmeyer in September 2021 filed his federal lawsuit on behalf of his daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer. Some feel that the teacher was justified in her actions, while others feel that she went too far. Now, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools board said its seen the results of both an internal and an external investigation. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. "After that teacher cut her hair, she was so embarrassed. 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. 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. She told her father, Jimmy Hoffmeyer that another student had cut her hair on the school bus with scissors taken from the classroom. This usually includes guidelines about appropriate hair styles. This is a complete abuse of power. Now it's like it's just gone.". Quit with that crap., Another wrote, I literally had palpitations just reading the headline. The teacher was arrested after forcibly cutting off the hair of a student. 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. 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. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. 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 teacher was immediately suspended and is currently under investigation. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologised.. 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 board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. 91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet. The district did not specify how long the agreement would last. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. If she is convicted of any of the six counts, she could face up to three years and six months in prison. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. Superintendent Verleger has also personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district. The key takeaways in both reviews are consistent. WNEM The key takeaways in both reviews are consistent, the board stated. 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.. He is also suing for racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. Mount Pleasant Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Verleger said she has personally apologized to the students family. 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. The library employee cut Jurnees hair on March 26, without obtaining permission from the Jurnees parents or consulting with school administrators. Treat our children as you would treat your very own is the way to offer care, Laster wrote. Huffpost untangles the complex history of black hair, Baseball legend Jackie Robinson's name misspelled as "Jakie" on road sign, Serena Williams honored at NAACP Image Awards, City, family reach $2 million settlement in Florida fatal police shooting, How these 3 hashtags from Black Twitter changed America. 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. Did they really do an investigation?. ", "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. 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 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. I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, Hoffmeyer said at the time. 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. She said but dad, it was the teacher. The teacher cut her hair to even it out.. Because she had to go back to class like that," he added. 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 Jurnee Was Crying & Afraid of Getting in Trouble After the Teacher Cut Her Hair Hoffmeyer said in an interview with the Associated Press that Mean Lori Lightfoot Beetlejuice memes go viral as Chicago mayor concedes, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. "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.". Defendants involved in Massachusetts standoff in court, 911 callers urge help for hockey player killed by fireworks, Lawsuit: Man who sparked treasure hunt retrieved own loot, Chicago police chief, U.S. attorney resign after Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection. ICE Limitations. 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. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. 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.. Mount Pleasant Public Schools full statement is below: At Mt. 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. 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. She offered to have Im sorry cards mailed to Jurnee, seen here at age 7, is biracial. 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 "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. Ingham County on March 23 passed a resolution to become the first county in the state to ban hair discrimination against public employees. However, there are no specific rules about teachers cutting students hair. 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The two employees who knew about the haircut but did not report it will have written reprimands placed in their files, the board said. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologized. 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. The teacher cut her hair to even it out.". I got mad and hung up, said Hoffmeyer who is Black and white. "Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughter's hair. Mr Hoffmeyer is Black and white, and Jurnees mother is white. Here's why. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white, said that in March his daughter Jurnee arrived home from Ganiard Elementary with much of the hair on one side of her head cut. About 4 percent of Mount Pleasants 25,000 residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census. A teacher in Michigan is accused of cutting off a students hair because of his biracial skin. For racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, Jurnees! 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