7-Year-Old Traumatized After School Librarian Cuts Her Hair
The father of a biracial 7-year-old girl is outraged after a librarian at Ganiard Elementary School in Mount Pleasant, Michigan cut his child’s hair.
Jimmy Hoffmeyer saw the unwarranted new look on March 26 when his daughter Jurnee came home from school with her hair cut within inches of her scalp, The Black Wall Street Times reported.
The incident happened two days after Jurnee’s classmate had cut her long curly hair on one side as she was heading home on the bus. Hoffmeyer took his daughter to the salon after the bus incident and allowed her to choose a new look.
“I know how today’s society is,” the father said. “I wasn’t going to let my little girl go to school with half of her hair cut off.”
Hoffmeyer was even more outraged when a similar incident happened again a couple of days later.
“I don’t think there are words to express how I felt in that moment,” he said.
As he saw his daughter crying when she came home, the furious father first suspected that another student had once again cut his child’s hair. But Jurnee said it was a librarian that did it this time.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Hoffmeyer said. “I jumped in the car to go to the school, but realized it was spring break. I couldn’t get ahold of anyone, so I called the cops.”
The school’s secretary later told the parent that she was in “utter disbelief,” but the principal wouldn’t be available to talk to the father until after spring break, a week later.
Hoffmeyer demanded consequences when he was finally able to talk with Ganiard Principal Marcy Stout.
“She apologized and said she didn’t know why they would do that,” he said. “I asked what was going to be done about it and she said they would probably get a mark in their progress folder or something. And that any further actions would need to go through the superintendent. So, I told her I want the superintendent to call me.”
However, the discussion with superintendent Jennifer Verleger didn’t make the situation any better.
“The superintendent called and sounded very insincere and short,” Hoffmeyer said. “She asked if it would make us feel better if she had the teachers send ‘I’m sorry’ cards in the mail.”
As the father considered pulling his daughter out of the school, the principal tried to convince the family to stay, offering to follow the child around campus to make sure nothing happens to her.
“How is the solution to punish my kid?” Hoffmeyer asked.
The enraged parent added that the school has refused to let him see footage from the bus incident, telling him there is nothing to see. As he continues to demand clarity, Hoffmeyer has been proudly sharing photos of his daughter on social media.
The family is now getting help from the National Parents Union, which is seeking a civil rights attorney to handle the case.
“No child should have to experience this type of humiliating ordeal because of their hair texture, style, or type! The adults entrusted with her learning crossed the line, didn’t protect her, and had no desire to be accountable for their actions,” the NPU stated.
Although the father did not say if he believed the incident was racially motivated, the organization is demanding for Michigan lawmakers to enact the CROWN Act. As Blavity previously reported, Senator Cory Booker announced the CROWN Act in 2019 to ban discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles. The bill first passed in California, then New York.
“Discrimination against Black hair is discrimination against Black people,” Booker said in 2019. “Implicit and explicit biases against natural hair are deeply ingrained in workplace norms and society at large. This is a violation of our civil rights, and it happens every day for Black people across the country.”
Citing one of the high-profile cases of discrimination in recent years, Booker talked about Andrew Johnson, a young man who was forced to cut his locs before a wrestling match in New Jersey in 2018.
Last month, a Black mother in Chicago demanded change after her 4-year-old son’s hair was regarded as a dress code violation. Ida Nelson said the private school, Providence St. Mel, deemed the style unacceptable because her son had his hair in braids.
“I said, ‘We still have policies related to Black hair in 2021, as an all-Black school? I’m really shocked about that,'” the mother said. “We have progressed, we have so much more information. I thought surely this school would understand the trauma associated with policing Black hair and absolutely not have a policy like that.”
Jurnee, who has now moved to a new school, is struggling to cope with the incident.
“We’ve had to take her to the doctor because she hasn’t been eating. She’s having trouble sleeping now and always wants to be with us. All of this because her hair didn’t look how they thought it should, wasn’t done to their standards,” Hoffmeyer said. “If you look at pictures of her before this happened, you can just see her spark and her energy. Now it’s like it’s just gone.”
That little girl has beautiful hair. How can anyone justify cutting those curls? My daughter had curls and her brother cut them and they never came back. They were 2 and 4 years old.
If a teacher, librarian, principal, or vice principal it my child’s hair because they didn’t like the texture or style I would be do tempted to shave the head of the person that cut my child’s hair. I feel so sorry for this little girl. Don’t people get tired of hating. Hatred is exhausting. We all need to love one another not hate. I think this little girl is adorable with her natural curly hair. I wish I had natural curly hair. I will pray that your daughter get her energetic personality back.
When a kid and librarian both cut your the problem aint with the hair the other kids didn’t have trouble did they sounds like they need a new libraryan,a new principal,and a new superintendent if they can’t handle their kids.i was in school before they quit the paddle we never died from it and they should bring it back if parents can’t raise their kids right.
This is clearly an assault. I’d get the police involved and sue the school!
Isn’t this an assault on the child? Can’t that person be arrested? America is going down the toilet.
People should not be doing cutting or perming a child’s hair without a parent’s permission. Leave their hair alone. Don’t try to change their physical appearance, be it hair or dress. I would take my nieces (with permission) to the nail salon to get them mani-pedis before starting a new school year. They could choose whatever kind color they wanted. My thought was if the parents don’t like it, then they can change it. But, the parents left them to their choices and we were all good.
I know that some kids do cut their own hair but some one else to has be horrible! Sad if this story is true!
What a crock. The school secretary said the principal is on break…Tough call her and get in now. This poor child has been through enough and the poor worthless principal is taking time off. Sounds like a class act protected by the most powerful union – The Teachers Union. Nothing will be done and the librarian will probably get a bonus and promotion.
Being me, I would g back to that school and cut the Librarians hair when she doesn’t expect it. That’s what she deserves.
Enough is enough sense when does any movement have a right cut anybody’s hair period!
Especially a little girl her life has been traumatized by these idiots! I would sue the hell out the school!
That little girl has been violated severely, not only once, but twice and the second time by a twisted immature librarian! EXCUSE ME, BUT WHAT GAVE THAT LIBRARIAN THE RIGHT TO EVEN TOUCH THAT LITTLE GIRL’S HAIR??? Someone needs to give that librarian a razor cut leaving about 1/2 inch of hair on her head. See how she likes having her own space trampled/invaded by someone who was much bigger, yet 100% more nasty than any of the other teachers!
Hopefully, that Librarian was fired after getting a butch by someone much bigger and more aggressive than she!! If that Librarian would have done that to my child, she would have had to deal with me directly AND A HUGE PAIR OF SCISSORS.
There would be a new book in that library called,:
,0″HOW TO TEACH A LIBRARIAN ABOUT NOT HURTING LITTLE GIRLS”.
Chapter One, First Invade the Librarian’s Space.
Chapter Two: Give her a Butch and Nose Ring.
Chapter Three: Get Librarian Fired!
Wrestler hair cut in NJ was forcing him to follow the existing rules to be able to wrestle. At a similar situation here in FL the student had a fellow teammate do the cutting because the coach wouldn’t risk the “assault” charges. The student got a real mullet but was eligible. The next week he had a professional buzz cut (and liked it).
Ignorance knows no boundary. The right legal representation should be able to address this level of ignorance. No child should have their personal space invaded in that way. We adults know we will not let someone invade our personal space and cut our hair without permission.The lack of common sense has left this planet in a hot mess in many ways. This child needs so much emotional support and tangible protection now. Children are more intelligent than we give them credit for.I hope the beautiful child can feel the love and proper protection coming her way. I also hope the parents get the support they need so their anger can be used to enlighten any remaining idiots in school systems nationwide. All of us parents of children of color have encountered incidents that make no sense and yes, sometimes through the negligence and ignorance of our fellow people of color. If the parents can endure this issue maybe they can help define the step by step process of what to do if a child has been abused , neglected or emotional safety boundaries broken in any way or level. Calling law enforcement should be included. Maybe the step by step process can be a written mandate issued to all parents at the beginning of each public school year , at all grade levels . Unfortunately private schools don’t have to be part of that initiative. I wish I had guidance like that back in the day. If staff of any major institution know they will be held accountable maybe they will too will “think before they act”. “Thinking before acting “, might be cliche but our children need this type role model among others . That school did not demonstrate that ability at all . They need to be held accountable and that child needs to know what happened was not ok and the grown ups involved must face punishment of some sort just like a child would . The child’s emotional needs may need to be paid for as well. Counseling is not out of the question.( with a parent present)