Margaret Gieszinger, a 53-year-old science and chemistry teacher, was arrested on Wednesday in Santa Clara. I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. First published on September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Hoffmeyer said the explanations he has received from the principal and the district have done little to appease him. MLive.com reports that the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools. 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. Legal Statement. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, MLive.com reported. 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. Regardless, their decisions and actions are unacceptable and show a major lack of judgement. 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. Who do you think cut Jurnees 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. ICE Limitations. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the districts superintendent about a week later after the schools spring break. 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 teacher cut her hair to even it out.". The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. Im not one to try to make things about race, he said. 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. / MoneyWatch. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, a father in Michigan, is suing the school district in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, because a school employee cut his daughter's hair. Verleger added that she has personally apologized to the students family. Jimmy Hoffmeyer, a father in Michigan, is suing the school district in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, because a school employee cut his daughter's hair. 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. After allegedly pressuring a student into getting a haircut, a California teacher was fired and charged with six misdemeanor counts of child cruelty. These written reprimands will go into the employees respective files. The dad took issue with the response, countering by asking what the school was planning to do with the staffer who cut his daughters hair, Bradley said. "She said, 'But Dad, it was the teacher.' For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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 father of three young daughters says he has taken Jurnee out of the school and is considering enrolling her in a private school. 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. 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. In 2019, an 11-year-old cheerleader in Coloradowas cut from a private cheer teambecause she didn't wear her hair in a ponytail like her White and Latina teammates. 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). Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Jurnee Hoffmeyer on March 24 arrived home from Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., with the hair on one side of her head cut off. "She was crying. 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. In the complaint, neither of those two school employees is identified by their first names. Jurnee said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press earlier this year. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. WebMichigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut. Th investigation found no racial bias, the school board said. 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. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. 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. The library employee cut Jurnees hair on March 26, without obtaining permission from the Jurnees parents or consulting with school administrators. 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.". She now attends another school. There is no evidence of a racially discriminatory intent, purpose, or motive, or evidence that Plaintiff was denied full and equal enjoyment of goods and services, attorney Piper wrote. I asked what happened and said I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair, Hoffmeyer said at the time. Regardless of their good intentions, these actions were unacceptable and show a lack of judgment on the part of our two employees, Verleger said in a statement. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific private school in India in question. 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. 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. Nonetheless, their actions were unacceptable and showed a major lack of judgement, the district said. 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.. Ingham County on March 23 passed a resolution to become the first county in the state to ban hair discrimination against public employees. The district is located about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. Mount Pleasant is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. The Teacher Who Cut Off A Students Hair Bachelors Degree In Elementary Education: The Best Choice For Elementary School Teachers, Rutgers: A Top Choice For Students Interested In Pursuing A Career In Teaching, The Best Places In The World to Seek Practical Education, 4 Ways Teachers Can Improve Their Performance in the Classroom, The Unique And Rewarding Experience Of Teaching At A Christian School, What To Do Before The School Year Starts Teacher, How To Teach High School Genetics: A Guide. He said two days later a teacher cut Jurnee's hair to even it out. The father said he found the explanations he has received from the school principal and the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District disappointing. The barber trimmed Jurnees hair for free and said further work would be done to even out the hair once more grew in. This degree will give you the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective elementary school teacher. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.. Jurnee was removed from the school by her father and now attends classes elsewhere. Later, the schools principal told him the most that could happen to the library teacher was a note in her work file, Hoffmeyer said. 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'm not one to try to make things about race," said Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white. Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP. The school staffer who cut Jurnees hair is also white. 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. "Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughter's hair. 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. It will also prepare you to, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is one of the worlds leading research universities. All three employees have apologized, the board said. Mount Pleasant Public Schools full statement is below: At Mt. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, arrived home from a Michigan school last month with a haircut from a classmate on the school bus and, later, another from her teacher. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Maybe the teacher was trying to even out her hair, or maybe Jurnee had lice. September 17, 2021 / 6:05 PM IE 11 is not supported. She offered to have Im sorry cards mailed to the family, he said. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. Jurnees mother is white. Technicians are currently working on the problem. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press in April. Have something to tell us about this article? 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. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. Investigation Finds No Evidence Of Racial Bias In Jurnee The student was horrified and ran out of the classroom in tears. 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. 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. "All of this because her hair didn't look how they thought it should, wasn't done to their standards. The school called after the bus incident and said the little girl stole the scissors off the teachers desk, and they were going to talk to the parents and deal with it accordingly, he said. Now it's like it's just gone.". Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The short hair required by schools in India is an attempt to give students a proper dress code and a proper hairstyle. Mean Lori Lightfoot Beetlejuice memes go viral as Chicago mayor concedes, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. 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. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. The incident occurred just after the boy returned home from school; his parents were made aware of it when he returned home. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cutting a students hair on school grounds either with or without parent permission is a clear violation of school policy. The school board, on the other hand, has determined that jurors hair was not cut to coincide with her race. 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