Mount Pleasant Public Schools officials have responded after one of its employees cut a biracial student’s hair.
The story sparked nationwide outrage.
Jimmy Hoffmeyer, the child’s father, spoke out after his daughter came home in tears.
Jurnee, 7, had her hair cut by another student on the bus on March 23, so Hoffmeyer took her to a professional salon to get it cut. Days later, a school employee cut her hair.
"She was crying," Hoffmeyer told the Detroit Free Press. "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. "She said, 'but dad, it was the teacher.' The teacher cut her hair to even it out."
Initially, Hoffmeyer wasn't getting answers from the school district or from Ganiard Elementary School.
On Wednesday (April 21), however, the district issued a statement addressing the issue.
Hundreds virtually participated in the school board meeting Monday (April 19) to express concerns about the incident, ABC 12 reports.
9 and 10 News shared the statement online. In it, Superintendent Jennifer Verleger said the district would conduct a full review, including by conducting interviews and reviewing video footage.
Verleger explained that on the March 23 incident, the student who asked to cut Jurnee’s hair took scissors from a classroom without permission. The principal met with both students the next school day.
“[Jurnee] grew unhappy and dissatisfied with the way her hair looked after the other student cut it and asked a school library employee to help fix her hair during a classroom visit to the library,” the statement reads. “Rather than declining this request or consulting with the student’s parents or school administrators, the library employee — who is also a cosmetologist — agreed to even out the student’s hair to make her feel better. She brought in professional shears and special barrettes. Our preliminary review shows the student’s teacher was also aware the library employee was planning to cut the student’s hair (on March 26).”
According to the school district, the library employee cut Jurnee’s hair because Jurnee asked her to cut it, but didn’t get permission from her parents or from school administrators.
Verleger’s statement says that while the employee had “good intentions,” their actions “were unacceptable and show a lack of judgement…Both employees have admitted their actions and apologized.”
The school district’s review is ongoing.
Photo: Getty Images