Indiana Principal Gives Student A Haircut To Boost Boy's Self Confidence

The principal of an Indiana middle school is going viral for taking the extra steps to help a student who was feeling insecure.

Last week, an eighth grader was sent to principal Jason Smith's office at Stonybrook Intermediate and Middle School in Warren Township. The boy was told to go to the principal because he wouldn't take his hat off in class.

Smith could have given the student detention or some other punishment, but he decided to talk to the eighth grader instead. The boy didn't want to take his hat off because he didn't like his haircut.

Smith thought the boy looked fine, but he decided to make a deal with the boy since the haircut was affecting his confidence level. He agreed to fix the student's hair if he'd go back to class afterwards.

“I’ve been cutting hair most of my life. I played college basketball cut my teammates’ hair before games, and I’ve been cutting my son’s hair for 17 years. So, I had professional clippers and edgers at home, so I said, ‘If I go home and get my clippers and line you up, will you go back to class?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I will,’” Smith told WRTV.

A photo of Smith helping the student out has since gone viral on Facebook. Most of the commenters praise the principal for working with a student to understand what he needs instead of punishing him.

“That age is a time where peer acceptance is huge. So, a young man, especially an African American young man, the barbershop is a big deal in the community. Looking good and representing and presenting yourself is huge for kids,” Smith told the station.

Photo: Getty Images