The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, arrived home from a Michigan school last month with an unwanted haircut from her teacher, sparking outrage from her father and the community alike. The Mount Pleasant Public Schools board commissioned an independent third-party investigation into why a library staff member cut 7-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyers hair at school on March 26. I spoke with the Hoffmeyer family today, as the statement came out, said Laster. Hoffmeyer said the explanations he has received from the principal and the district have done little to appease him. 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. "We've had to take her to the doctor because she hasn't been eating. Here's why. Jimmy Hoffmeyer said his daughters constitutional rights were violated., He is reportedly suing the school district and two staff members. 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. There is no evidence that Defendants actions shocks the conscience and did not result in an injury so severe so as to constitute a substantive due process violation under the Fourteenth Amendment.. Father sues school district for $1 million after staff cut daughters hair, tweeted another. And two Texas high school studentswere suspended from schoolin 2020 because they refused to cut off their dreadlocks. Parents are upset that they were not informed about the incident and that they are eager for more information. Market data provided by ICE Data Services. He said he was told the school would talk to the parents of the classmate involved in the first haircut and that a note would be placed in the teacher's work file. A white employee and white administrators being investigated by a nearly all-white school board who hired an unknown independent investigator is not an appropriate lens by which to evaluate this situation. That probe included conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and photographic evidence. 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.. Her teaching credentials were suspended twice due to immoral conduct, and she was previously suspended from teaching. Two days before the recent settlement conference, defense counsel filed a motion seeking the cases dismissal. Ingham County on March 23 passed a resolution to become the first county in the state to ban hair discrimination against public employees. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Newsweek has contacted the Mount Pleasant Public Schools District, Ganiard Elementary School and Jimmy Hoffmeyer for comment. This degree will give you the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective elementary school teacher. 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). Jurnee said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on a school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press earlier this year. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. 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. "I've pretty much grown up with only white people, myself. 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 district did not specify how long the agreement would last. The school board, on the other hand, has determined that jurors hair was not cut to coincide with her race. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated. After allegedly pressuring a student into getting a haircut, a California teacher was fired and charged with six misdemeanor counts of child cruelty. She said but dad, it was the teacher. The teacher cut her hair to even it out, he added further., Jimmy said he informed the principal of the school, but he wasnt pleased with the explanation he got., Months later, Jurnees father is filing a $1 Million lawsuit against the school district and two staff members who were involved in cutting his daughters hair., Jimmy, who is Black, has reportedly spoken about alleged racial discrimination against his daughter in the lawsuit., According to MLive.com, the lawsuit states that the district failed to properly train, monitor, direct, discipline, and supervise their employees and knew or should have known that the employees would engage in the complained-of behavior given the improper training, customs, procedures, and policies, and the lack of discipline that existed for employees., However, an investigation by the school district in July concluded that the teacher had not acted with racial bias, according to BBC.. I know alot of yall want to kno more but this is all I can say at the moment but will update when I canjust want to keep ppl aware in the mean time. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The parent of Jurnee Hoffmeyer, a 7-year-old girl whose hair was cut by a school librarian, has sued the Michigan school district for $1 million. Paragliders record never-before-seen footage of world's second-tallest mountain, Elizabeth Holmes has 2nd child as prison sentence looms, Dozens of sharks swarm fishing boat in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast, video shows, Brunt of storm moving out of SoCal, light showers on tap Wednesday, Wake-Up Weather: AM showers then mild and breezy, Say goodbye to the iconic mail truck the postal service is electrifying its fleet, beginning with more than 9,000 new vehicles, Zero calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, USPS ordering 9,250 electric vehicles from Ford. In 2018, a New Jersey high school student wasforced to cut off his dreadlocksto compete in a wrestling match. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. Jennifer Gieszinger began teaching part-time at a Tulare County high school in August. Margaret Gieszinger, 52, a chemistry teacher in California, was caught on camera forcibly cutting a students hair and throwing it behind her while singing the national anthem. Treat our children as you would treat your very own is the way to offer care, Laster wrote. The employees involved have acknowledged their wrong actions and apologised.. It alleges that the biracial girl's constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. Jurnee Hoffmeyer on March 24 arrived home from Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., with the hair on one Mount Pleasant Public Schools full statement is below: At Mt. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on the school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press. Pleasant Public Schools, we strive each day to ensure our students can learn and achieve in an inclusive, safe environment free from harassment, discrimination, bigotry or intolerance. 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 Mount Pleasant Public Schools, the board said. The girl who cut Jurnees hair is white. She said 'but dad, it was the teacher.' I can assure you that the independent, third-party investigation was conducted without the perspective or conversation of the family who was harmed.. Who did they talk to? Mr Hoffmeyer asked on Friday when the results of the investigation were announced. On a related note, the Michigan House of Representatives in March 2022 passed the CROWN Act in a 235-189 vote to prohibit race-based hair discrimination. Michigan is one of the states considering a CROWN Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act to protect women and girls who are frequently discriminated against for wearing natural hair. These written reprimands will go into the employees respective files. As a result of the districts investigation, the employee who cut the students hair will be placed on a last chance agreement during which time any future violations will likely result in termination. WRSX 91.3 Port Huron is off the air due to network issues. "I'm not one to try to make things about race," said Hoffmeyer, who is Black and white. The board added that the third-party inquiry was performed in addition to an internal review by the school districts administration. If a teacher cuts a students hair without permission, it could be considered assault and the teacher could be fired. We truly appreciate the support and patience by our students, staff and families while an independent, third-party investigation was conducted regarding an incident at Ganiard Elementary School, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education said in a statement on Friday, MLive reports. "She said, 'But Dad, it was the teacher.' The barber arrived with his mobile barber shop to fix the boys hair. We are confident that the facts will prevail given our districts appropriate and aggressive response to the incident and the findings of the third-party investigation that was conducted, Bond said in a statement. Because of this, the distinction between military schools and army students is known as their distinctiveness and uniqueness.. 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. 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. "She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away.". I would of lost my freaking mind. Superintendent Verleger has also personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district. District administrators also performed an internal review of the incident. I see this type of stuff manifest all across this nation, and if were really, truly looking to end and eradicate systemic racism, people are going to have to do the hard, introspective work of challenging their own thoughts and beliefs, Laster said. All rights reserved (About Us). The father of three young daughters says he has taken Jurnee out of the school and is considering enrolling her in a private school. The teacher was arrested after forcibly cutting off the hair of a student. Now, the Mount Pleasant Public Schools board said its seen the results of both an internal and an external investigation. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, MLive.com reported. There is no evidence the incident was motivated by racial bias. It alleges that the biracial girls constitutional rights were violated, racial discrimination, ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. In thelawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Grand Rapids against Mount Pleasant Public Schools, Jimmy Hoffmeyer alleges his biracial daughter's constitutional rights were violated. Jurnee Hoffmeyer. Jimmy Hoffmeyer / AP MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents permission has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teachers assistant. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The district did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails asking who conducted the investigation and whether they contacted the Hoffmeyer family. 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., Father of girl, 7, who had hair cut off by school staffer files $1 million lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, Even as local efforts increase, hair discrimination is still legal in Michigan, Department of Civil Rights deeply concerned about Mount Pleasant girls haircut by school staffer, Michigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut, Michigan girls haircut by school staffer modern-day scalping, says National Parents Union. But it has nothing to do with White, Black, or Bi-racial. According to Hoffmeyer, her library teacher, Ms. Moggs, assisted and/or agreed with another teachers assistant, Ms. Jacobs, who allegedly cut Jurnees hair with scissors. It will also prepare you to, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is one of the worlds leading research universities. 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