A girl in Chicago was suspended from school and the reason why has left some people scratching their heads. According to WGN-TV, the reason 15-year-old Daisy Chavero was given for being suspended from Chicago Bulls College Prep was because she dyed her hair red.
Apparently the school has a rule banning unnatural hair colors, stating, “artificial red of any kind is not permitted.” Daisy said that when she came to school with her newly dyed hair, she was immediately sent to detention.
“I’ve never done anything wrong,” Daisy says in the video. “I just painted my hair.”
Daisy reportedly dyed her hair again with a darker auburn color, but her hair has retained a red tint. The girl’s mother said her daughter’s current hair color is not red, but auburn.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Angie Chavero reports DNAInfo. “Supposedly, it’s a distraction to the classroom.”
The color Daisy first used for her hair was called “dark auburn” on the box, according to Angie. The shade came out lighter than the two expected because Daisy’s natural hair color is light brown. Angie said that even after they dyed Daisy’s hair with a darker brown color, the school still would not allow her to return to classes.
“You are going to put a student that has no demerits, has never been suspended, has no discipline problems, who has good grades in a suspension hall with students that do have serious problems?” Angie wondered.
“To me, when they say red, I think someone who dyed their hair bleach blond and then red. That’s what artificial red means to me,” said the mother. “It’s not fire hydrant red.”
The school’s rule on dyed hair was reportedly altered with an addendum at the beginning of the school year to include unnatural red hair, which Daisy’s mother said she should have been notified of.
“The addendum was handed out to students, not their parents, so the parents are issued a handbook,” said the mom. “Those handbooks should should have every addendum the school chooses to bring forward. If it does not provide it to the adult or the guardian, it’s not a legal format.”
Daisy reportedly has a learning disability that her mother said entitled her to an Individual Education Plan at her school. Angie said the school was violating her rights with the suspension by not providing her with special education services.
Daisy and her mother sat down with administrators, and were able to lift the teen’s suspension. Principal Wendy Erskine issued a statement saying the school looked forward to having Daisy back in class.
“A student code of conduct that creates the highest conditions for academic success is our priority, and we always try to apply our policies fairly in every situation. I regret how this particular instance played out this week,” the principal said.
“I recognize that the student attempted to make good-faith corrections in regard to our initial concern,” said Erskine. “Daisy’s family has been with Noble for many years, and we look forward to welcoming her back to class on Monday.”