A Mother is suing a school, who shaved her daughter’s curly hair and told the child that her hair would ‘grow back straight’.
Denise Robinson said that she was not contacted by the school to ask for her consent to shave her seven-year-old daughter Tru’s head, writes CBS News.
The school now claims that staff shaved Tru’s head for ‘hygiene reasons’, although reports say that the ‘specifics of this were not clear’.
Denise said that Tru’s hair was ‘very long’ before it was all cut off.
CBS News
She spoke to CBS News and said:
For them to do this, it’s very upsetting, not just to me but to her.
She said that clinician at the Little Heroes Home in Dracut, Massachusetts, took Tru to a salon where a volunteer had shaved her hair off. The girl attends The Little Heroes Group Home because she has ‘severe emotional issues’, meaning that she stays at the home some nights of the week.
Denise added:
There was no hygienic reason for them to shave my child’s head. There were no head lice. There were no bed bugs. There was no what I refer to as ‘rasta locks’ going on.
Her hair was two pony tails on the side on Saturday and it was braided in the ponytails and there was nothing wrong.
She also said to NECN:
I am very upset. And I’m not going to stop being upset because I feel like my child was assaulted and violated.
Denise posted to Facebook to express her shock at Tru’s hair being cut off.
She wrote:
I’m going to need bail money for real!! Tru’s school cut her hair without telling me.
In further Facebook posts, Denise also expressed her anger at the school.
In the first post on October 18th, she wrote:
Before and after her hair is gone.. Tru has a fade. We did not give anyone permission to do this!
A day later, in which she attached four photographs of her daughter, she wrote:
Just so people can see this is why I’m mad! 3 pix from this year. Her holding the flower 2 days ago! This is why I’m mad.
Denise’s lawyer Richard Kendall said that volunteers had made racial comments to the girl as they shaved her head.
He said:
The volunteer informed this seven-year-old biracial child that by shaving her head, her hair would grow back straight.
I find that appalling.
In a statement, Little Heroes have replied to the allegations and said:
Decisions regarding grooming are based on a variety of factors, including hygiene.
We cannot provide any information about any individual served by the programme under federal and state law. A review of the circumstances is underway to determine what occurred and, if necessary, appropriate action will be taken.
The Department of Children and Families have not said whether or not they are investigating the matter.
CBS News
Denise on the other hand. says that she was told by the program’s director they would ‘call her regarding anything with her daughter’, and she just hopes they keep that promise.