In Memory Of Her Late Sister, A Girl Chops Off Her Hair - But Her School Says It's Too Extreme

Sep 17, 2018 by apost team

It's important to encourage children to do good deeds. Kindness is something that children learn from others, including both the adults in their lives and their peers. Adults have a responsibility to encourage children to engage in positive behavior and make their community a better place.

That's why what this school did is so shocking.

A school told a girl that her actions had crossed the line.  It's unbelievable that this story is true, but some schools care more about appearances than about the health of their children.  At least telling the story will help to shed some light on what a corrupt and misguided decision this was.

Katelyn Ball is a 12-year-old girl who, up until recently, had long and gorgeous blonde hair.  She made the decision to cut it all off and make a donation to the Little Princess Trust.  This charity gives wigs to the children who have suffered hair loss.  She also raised money to support the InspiredbyKeira charity.  This charity was set up to help counsel families who are dealing with the loss of one of their children.

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Katelyn's parents are the ones who founded the charity.  Loanna and Joe Ball run the InspiredbyKeira charity as a way to honor their daughter Keira, who passed away following a car accident.

But when Katelyn came to school with her shortened haircut, the school officials informed her that her choice of hairstyle was "too extreme."  Katelyn's father Joe explained that the headmaster told both Katelyn and her parents that her haircut wouldn't be accepted in the school.

Joe is furious about the situation, and rightfully so.  He says that he believes the school should be proud to have Katelyn as a pupil, as she made the sacrifice of her hair to support two incredible causes.

He went on to say that Katelyn's goal had been to raise money for InspiredbyKeira and provide a wig to a sick child in need of one.  It was a truly selfless and generous act, and her parents are incredibly proud of her.

For the most part, social media is in ringing agreement with Joe.  People have posted a variety of different opinions.  One person stated that the school had a responsibility to promote the kind of actions that Katelyn had taken, not to stifle them.  Another said that Joe should put the situation in writing and present it to the school administrators to see their opinion.

Others chimed in that Katelyn is an inspiration, and that the school's reaction to her haircut is both shocking and hurtful.  But South Molton Community College is defending its actions.  According to the school's website, a student's hairstyle is an aspect of their uniform.

The college says that it does not condone extreme styles.  Students can dye their hair, but only if it's a natural color.  If they have hair longer than their shoulders, it must be tied back during every practical lesson.  It must also be tied back in situations where safety and health require hair to be tied.

It's not acceptable, according to the school code, for any part of a student's head to be shaved.  Students are also not allowed to put any kind of decorative item in their hair.

When news outlets reached out to the college, a spokesperson said that Katelyn wouldn't receive any punishment for her haircut.  They went on to explain that they had reached a compromise.

The spokesperson says that a reasonable compromise was presented to Katelyn's parents.  The main suggestion was that Katelyn's hair was expected to grow out naturally over the term, but there wouldn't be any sanctions taken against her for the current length.

They say that once Katelyn's hair grows out, it will conform to the school's policy.  In addition, they were careful to note that the school administration has support for any kind of charity work undertaken by the students.

It sounds a little bit like backpedaling after the backlash they received.  Why should it matter whether Katelyn cut her hair for charity or as an act of self-expression?  But it's true that in light of the haircut's reasoning, the issue is doubly ridiculous

What do you think of this story? Would you have supported Katelyn in this endeavor? Let us know, and show this story to your friends and family to support Katelyn!