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Kindergartner Kicked Out of Class for Long Hair
I’m not saying a thing about Texas, because I’m sure it’s a perfectly lovely state. But as soon as I read about kindergartner Taylor Pugh being kicked out of his kindergarten classroom for his moderatlely long hair style, I said to myself, “Must be Texas.”
And I wasn’t wrong. I’m just sayin’.
This time it’s Mesquite, Texas, and district officials agree that their dress code is a strict one. Boys’ hair can not touch their collar, reach their earlobes on the sides, or be in their eyes. But they’re sticking to their guns (another thing that’s popular in Texas) on this one. Little Taylor can’t attend kindergarten with his friends until Mom and Dad lop his locks.
After his parents received the first letter from the school asking them to cut Taylor’s hair, the boy was suspended. His parents brought him back unshorn and the suspension was dropped, but Taylor isn’t allowed into his classroom. Instead, he works out in the hallway with an aide.
“They kicked me out that place,” Taylor — who likes to be called Tator Tot, can I get a collective awwwww – said in an interview with the Associated Press. “I miss my friends.”
And so, it’s a good old Texan stand-off. Will the parents cave and cut Taylor’s hair? Will the school district give in considering Taylor’s young age? Has anyone in this state ever heard of a ponytail? That seems like the best solution to a problem like this one.
But maybe that’s just too simple.
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17 Comments
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The 100 Games Cupcake Game | Strollerderby commented on Jan 12 10 at 2:00 pm[...] saga of Taylor Pugh – a.k.a. Tator Tot — and his long locks isn’t over yet. The Mesquite School district offered Taylor’s parents what they thought was a decent [...]
Texas Gives Long-Haired Boy a Compromise: Braids | Strollerderby commented on Jan 13 10 at 10:06 am[...] Kindergartner Kicked Out of Class for Long Hair [...]
Giant Dog Eats Baby (No, Not Really) (VIDEO) | Strollerderby commented on Jan 13 10 at 12:00 pmLolaLane commented on Dec 18 09 at 1:17 pmMy boys aged 4 & 5 both have longish, shaggy hair and I am annoyed to no end that we’ll probably be asked to cut it upon entering kindergarten. It stinks and it’s an archaic policy to be sure, but we just have to suck it up I suppose…and yes, speaking as a Houstonian here.
Jenny from Austin commented on Dec 18 09 at 2:33 pmYeah, obviously this is totally horrible and stupid (his hair isn’t even very long!) However, your weird anti-Texas stuff makes you sound like a provincial jerk. No, we’ve never heard of ponytails here, we’re all just sitting around chewing tobacco, voting Republican, and shooting our guns, waiting for another execution. Stereotypes are just not okay. Yeah, there are some rednecks here, but there are rednecks and close-minded people everywhere (such as yourself). My creepy racist cousins were born and raised in San Francisco, for instance. If you ever leave your bubble and spend time around people who do not share your political and cultural views, you will be a better person for it. Not because your political and cultural views need to change, but because you would have a lot more hope for our country and for their world if you could see, feel, and recognize the humanity of people who hold beliefs that are not the same as yours. I know I would feel scared and sad if I really thought that a state of 30 million people was truly filled with nothing but mean 4 year old haters.
Laura in Euless (but from NY) commented on Dec 18 09 at 6:23 pmRules. Should we bend them for 4 year olds? Sure why not, he’ll grow up perfectly adjusted.
a's mom commented on Dec 19 09 at 4:25 pmi don’t really think that the issue is about bending this rule for a 4 year old, i think that this issue is what right does a public school really have to make a rule that dictates a person’s length of hair? do they also get to decide who is too fat to attend their classes? too ugly? a basic dress code, of no revealing clothing, or gang colors is one thing, but why is it the schools place to dictate hair length? do they suspend little girls whose hair is too short for their taste also? this rule is ridiculous and should be overturned.
TolaniLucia commented on Dec 20 09 at 6:19 pmLooks like this kid could use some help from “The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-haired Men”.
Maggie commented on Jan 07 10 at 1:00 pmBreaks my heart when he says he misses his friends. Schools have a right to have dress codes and so forth, but I fail to see how his hair is a distraction. I think it looks cute!
esq2b commented on Jan 12 10 at 11:23 pmThis is so sad. We are always striving to get children to go to school, to want to be there, to do well there and now we have a young boy whom we are training to hate the system. A system that says you’re free but you have to cut your hair because WE think its distracting. Seriously? So are we sexist also? What about the girls. Who said only girls are allowed to have long hair? This is totally unfair and unwarranted. I would advice the parents to seek legal counsel. This is a public school. They have no right to force you to change a clean, healthy, harmless and NATURAL part of your appearance. Where is Pres. Bush? What has be been doing since he’s been home. How about you come out and stand up for this little boy. Earn your pension!!!!!
theresa commented on Jan 31 10 at 8:11 amMy 7 year old son has long hair and this article caught my eye. I looked for photos and was shocked at how SHORT this boy’s hair is!!
James Jones commented on Feb 07 10 at 12:54 amChildren, this is why we don’t go to america.(with the exception of New York, L.A., Las Vegas, or Chicago.)
Gloria Sedano-Sarabia commented on Jul 28 11 at 5:11 amOh my gosh! I said the same thing when I read this, “It’s in Texas, isn’t it?”
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