Father's fury after his 13-year-old daughter was sent home from school for having £140 waist-length bright white dreadlocks

Father's fury after his 13-year-old daughter was sent home from school for having £140 waist-length bright white dreadlocks




A furious father has branded his daughter's school racist after the 14-year-old girl was sent home after getting a dreadlock-style hair cut.

Chenise Benson, 14, claimed her friend of Jamaican origin was allowed by school authorities to keep a similar hair style.

Beyonce-fan Chenise, 14, had dreamed about getting exotic box-braids like the ex-Destiny's Child singer for months - but was left in tears at the school gates after staff wouldn't let her in.

Her friend Jamila, who is of Jamaican origin said their hair was exactly the same.

A policy document on the school's website states: 'Please note we do not allow extreme, unnatural hairstyles or colouring. Any hair accessories should be of a practical nature and should not be decorative.

'If you are in doubt please contact your child’s tutor at the school. Hair should be no shorter than a Grade 3 cut.

'Please be aware that what is and is not acceptable will be decided by the school in line with this policy and the school’s decision is final.

'Please note that in sending your child to George Pindar School that you are agreeing to ensure your child abides by this policy.

'If you have any queries or questions regarding any aspect of uniform, jewellery, hairstyle, please could you contact the school.'

Chenise's father Darren, 39, said: 'I'm not racist in any shape or form - but this is like racism against their own.

'Chenise is being picked out here because she's white - if she was black or mixed-race they wouldn't have a problem.

'Chenise's friend whose dad is Jamaican even told the teachers "look at my hair, I'm still allowed in".

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3877806/Father-s-fury-daughter-13-sent-home-school-having-140-waist-length-bright-white-DREADLOCKS.html


I know I'm a stickler for school uniform and proper socks.....but this is ridiculous! How is her hair in any way a problem?

Gonna struggle in PE, cooking and  practical sciences..
And it looks bloody stupid.

Yeah she will have to tie it back for practical lessons and yes, they look hideous, but that's what she chooses to look like.

Quite distracting tbf -- and looking at that pic, I feel she's sitting in judgment of me:

The dreads can't be any worse than just plain, old, long hair. I can see that it would be a danger in cooking, shop and craft classes.

If they send kids home for long hair too, then it's justified. If they don't, then clearly it's bias.

eddie wrote:I know I'm a stickler for school uniform and proper socks.....but this is ridiculous! How is her hair in any way a problem?

I don't think the school will argue that it's a problem.  They will argue that it conflicts with school policy.

Frankly, I don't think it does conflict with school policy.  Here's the language used:

School Policy wrote:'Please note we do not allow extreme, unnatural hairstyles or colouring. Any hair accessories should be of a practical nature and should not be decorative.

What is extreme, or unnatural...or, for that matter, odd styling or coloring?  There's an old turn-of-the-century (1900's) saying about opinions that are frivolous: They just don't like the way he combs his hair.  It's deju vu all over again, as Yogi would say.

There is duplicity in their position.  They are trying to avoid what they really mean, to wit: If we don't like it, in our sole discretion, you've got to change it.  Too authoritarian, in this day and age.  So they go into vagaries like "extreme", "style", "color", blah, blah, blah.  But what they really mean is, do it our way, or it's the highway!

Someone should've chopped them off and sent the brat home.
The father is probably a tripe hound himself for trying it on.
You should turn up for school looking presentable and not do anything which will take the attention from otherz who are there to learn

Just another parent using their spoiled brat to get their 5 minutes. .

Syl wrote:Just another parent using their spoiled brat to get their 5 minutes. .

The Mail pay well.

Major wrote:Someone should've chopped them off and sent the brat home.
The father is probably a tripe hound himself for trying it on.
You should turn up for school looking presentable and not do anything which will take the attention from otherz who are there to learn

Hahaha...you are such a fookin' bullshitter. What you really mean is, like me! And you never learned jack-shit in school, did you!

Love the sad face. Bet they're smiling when the cheque from the paper drops through the letterbox.

Listen, once you start sending people home for their hairstyles you open up a can of worms.
Perhaps they could've suggested it was shorter, or tied back at all times?

She looks like a typical English schoolboy to me. I guess it's the tie.

Syl wrote:Just another parent using their spoiled brat to get their 5 minutes. .

Parents should be done for child endangerment, she would surely get her head kicked in walking out looking like that.

They're not technically dreadlocks really, they're plaits.

I think she'd get it caught in some piece of machinery. That's the common sense of it.

Raggamuffin wrote:They're not technically dreadlocks really, they're plaits.

Do they come off? Like...detachable?

Fabricated?

"A George Pindar School spokesperson said: 'It is the first time I have heard about the matter and obviously, with it being half-term, there is no way I can get the full background details about the matter." (From the link).

Judging from the pictures, I like her hair in the dreads. Improves her face...thins it out a bit.

Original Quill wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:They're not technically dreadlocks really, they're plaits.

Do they come off?  Like...detachable?

They are extensions....false hair attached to her own hair. Often they are glued in and have to be taken out professionally.
Her Jamaican friend may have the same hairstyle which would be natural to her....this girls hair is anything but natural, and the school rules clearly state...

'Please note we do not allow extreme, unnatural hairstyles or colouring. Any hair accessories should be of a practical nature and should not be decorative.


Apart from anything else, if she swished her head round quick she could have some poor kids eye out.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Do they come off?  Like...detachable?

They are extensions....false hair attached to her own hair. Often they are glued in and have to be taken out professionally.
Her Jamaican friend may have the same hairstyle which would be natural to her....this girls hair is anything but natural, and the school rules clearly state...

'Please note we do not allow extreme, unnatural hairstyles or colouring. Any hair accessories should be of a practical nature and should not be decorative.


Apart from anything else, if she swished her head round quick she could have some poor kids eye out.  

Yes, but as I said, "[w]hat is extreme, or unnatural...or, for that matter, odd styling or coloring?"  I wonder if the Jamaican friend was allowed to wear her hair in dreads?

Again, I think it improves the lines in her face. It slims out her cheeks.

You have mentioned her cheeks a few times now Quill, I'm glad her hair judge-dreads have made you see her in a better light

eddie wrote:You have mentioned her cheeks a few times now Quill, I'm glad her hair judge-dreads have made you see her in a better light  

Yes, it's well-known that straight hair accents a round face:



The hairline can change one's looks drastically.  Look how Jen rounds out her face, framing that lovely smile.



Also, letting your hair grow and wearing it as long as possible like Demi Moore will automatically give you a more slender appearance.



Okay, here is Chenise's original look:



Go back and see how she looks with her plaits.



Thins out her face, right? That cute chin looks downright svelte, eh?

MAYBE,  just maybe,  if British schools would pay more attention to, like, you know, maybe, like, well maybe, educating their students once in a while, these days...

Instead of wetting themselves over such fripperies as hairstyles and sock colours..

Well, like, maybe --  we could see some more intelligent musings coming from the likes of Tommyrot and Majorstuffups --  rather than seeing the UK advancing backwards at a rate of knots ?    

eddie wrote:You have mentioned her cheeks a few times now Quill, I'm glad her hair judge-dreads have made you see her in a better light  

Mmmm his comment that it "thins out her face " stood out a bit. No wonder so many young girls have body image problems

what is it with parents who cannot follow simple rules and think they don't apply to their poppets

WHY is the jamaican girl allowed them???????????????????

Probably the black girls dreadlocks are shorter and suit her. This girl's hair looks ridiculous, too long, white and so false.

Is the dad a single parent? He seems very caring but he is misguided.
The hairstyle does not really suit her.
Moreover it's too flamboyant for school.
If there's a mum on the scene she should surely have realised this?

Everyone involved - parent(s), headteacher, school governors - need to move  fast, to resolve this  cos  she is missing out on her precious education while all this squabbling is going on.

If she just shortens it and ties it back in a 'ponytail'  then she can get on with her lessons cos she's missing out.

Jules wrote:


Is the dad a single parent? He seems very caring but he is misguided.
The hairstyle does not really suit her.
Moreover it's too flamboyant for school.
If there's a mum on the scene she should surely have realised this?

they are fake anyway so can be removed.

The dad is obviously a loser, he has a tattoo and a beard. lol

Miffs2 wrote:

eddie wrote:You have mentioned her cheeks a few times now Quill, I'm glad her hair judge-dreads have made you see her in a better light  

Mmmm his comment that it "thins out her face " stood out a bit. No wonder so many young girls have body image problems

That wanting to be attractive is a timeless human trait, is a given. We would not have begun combing our hair or inventing jewelry if it wasn't. I can appreciate that it can be destructive as well.

But the aesthetics of body image are the same aesthetics of a Michelangelo or a de Vinci. Art can be competitive and destructive, but that's no reason to do away with art. It's kind like the gun owners say, it's not what it is, it's how you use it.

The girl would not have gone to a hair dresser if she were not already concerned about her looks. If you want to crusade against hair styles and hair styling, be my guest. I'm just working within the child's reasoning: she wanted a better look. She got it.

Lord Foul wrote:WHY is the jamaican girl allowed them???????????????????

That bothers me, too. It's like the school is making racist categories and expectations, many of which are probably wrong.

Jules wrote:
Is the dad a single parent? He seems very caring but he is misguided.

I think he's just trying to support his daughter. He probably doesn't know from adam about women's hair styles.

Jules wrote:The hairstyle does not really suit her.
Moreover it's too flamboyant for school.
If there's a mum on the scene she should surely have realised this?

The hairstyle is different. But, aren't we becoming a bit too PC here? What is a politically correct hairstyle, anyway?

Jules wrote:Everyone involved - parent(s), headteacher, school governors - need to move  fast, to resolve this  cos  she is missing out on her precious education while all this squabbling is going on.

If she just shortens it and ties it back in a 'ponytail'  then she can get on with her lessons cos she's missing out.

He isn't a single parent, the mother (a former council worker) is mentioned in the article.
Also the girl had her hair done just before half term, the father has stated if the school doesn't 'back down' the girl will have the extensions removed so she can return to school as normal after the half term break as her education is too important to miss out.

I translate this to mean "I have had my 5 minutes of fame so her hair can go back to normal now".

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

They are extensions....false hair attached to her own hair. Often they are glued in and have to be taken out professionally.
Her Jamaican friend may have the same hairstyle which would be natural to her....this girls hair is anything but natural, and the school rules clearly state...

'Please note we do not allow extreme, unnatural hairstyles or colouring. Any hair accessories should be of a practical nature and should not be decorative.


Apart from anything else, if she swished her head round quick she could have some poor kids eye out.  

Yes, but as I said, "[w]hat is extreme, or unnatural...or, for that matter, odd styling or coloring?"  I wonder if the Jamaican friend was allowed to wear her hair in dreads?

Again, I think it improves the lines in her face.  It slims out her cheeks.

The girl is 13 years old Quill....a child, a bit young to be commenting on her appearance imo.
Shame her parents have catapulted her into the media so strangers can make personal comments on her looks, but no doubt they are happy to do this.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Yes, but as I said, "[w]hat is extreme, or unnatural...or, for that matter, odd styling or coloring?"  I wonder if the Jamaican friend was allowed to wear her hair in dreads?

Again, I think it improves the lines in her face.  It slims out her cheeks.

The girl is 13 years old Quill....a child, a bit young to be commenting on her appearance imo.
Shame her parents have catapulted her into the media so strangers can make personal comments on her looks, but no doubt they are happy to do this.

Your point is well taken.  Still, it is what it is.  Young women are naturally into their appearance.  Here's a young woman who uses her plaits in a similar manner, with the simple difference that she lifts them to the top of her head:



You may think it's cute, or you may still think it's out of place.  It's your taste or hers.

And I don't think her parents intended to catapult the girl anywhere.  I don't know how the story became international...but so it goes.

That little girl has naturally afro hair, which is often plaited or braided to keep it under control.
The girl in the OP has false hair glued onto her own hair, anything but natural, so there is no comparison really.

Stories like this usually become international because (just as in this case) the parent splashes it all over social media, then either the press take an interest or the parent (attention seeker) rushes to flog their story to the nearest tabloid.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

MAYBE,  just maybe,  if British schools would pay more attention to, like, you know, maybe, like, well maybe, educating their students once in a while, these days...

Instead of wetting themselves over such fripperies as hairstyles and sock colours..

Well, like, maybe --  we could see some more intelligent musings coming from the likes of Tommyrot and Majorstuffups --  rather than seeing the UK advancing backwards at a rate of knots ?    

Matbe just maybe the Ausis should educate their people not to abuse the Aborigine people,just maybe

If IF IF the UK advanced backwardz it would be many many years sinking to the Ausie depths of depravity of gang banging boomerz cus they cannot tell the difference between a Sheila and a boomer..

Syl wrote:That little girl has naturally afro hair, which is often plaited or braided to keep it under control.
The girl in the OP has false hair glued onto her own hair, anything but natural, so there is no comparison really.

Is "natural" the new pc?

I note the girl has a Jamaican friend, who probably wears her hair in plaits like this. Kids that age like to copy one another...it's "natural". Lol.

I'm thinking this is a normal I like your hair...and, me too! Last week it was pink hair. Next week it's a shaved head. There is always some group in school who is a bit wild and crazy. They grow up to be doctors and lawyers and architects like everyone else.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:That little girl has naturally afro hair, which is often plaited or braided to keep it under control.
The girl in the OP has false hair glued onto her own hair, anything but natural, so there is no comparison really.

Is "natural" the new pc?  

I note the girl has a Jamaican friend, who probably wears her hair in plaits like this.  Kids that age like to copy one another...it's "natural".  Lol.  

I'm thinking this is a normal I like your hair...and, me too!  Last week it was pink hair.  Next week it's a shaved head.  There is always some group in school who is a bit wild and crazy.  They grow up to be doctors and lawyers and architects like everyone else.

PC has nothing to do with it....she is in school and there are rules re dress and appearance, if you don't like them change schools to one that will accommodate you and your kids.
Wild and crazy styles will always come and go, they have no bearing on how a child will grow up, but school is not the time to start experimenting with them.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Is "natural" the new pc?  

I note the girl has a Jamaican friend, who probably wears her hair in plaits like this.  Kids that age like to copy one another...it's "natural".  Lol.  

I'm thinking this is a normal I like your hair...and, me too!  Last week it was pink hair.  Next week it's a shaved head.  There is always some group in school who is a bit wild and crazy.  They grow up to be doctors and lawyers and architects like everyone else.

PC has nothing to do with it....she is in school and there are rules re dress and appearance, if you don't like them change schools to one that will accommodate you and your kids.
Wild and crazy styles will always come and go, they have no bearing on how a child will grow up, but school is not the time to start experimenting with them.

That's right. PC has nowt to do with it. My main problem with her hairstyle is that there is just too much going on.
Too much length, too much volume. She defo got carried away there. Less is more!
Bo Derek looked nice when she did it decades ago cos, she pulled it off.

I have no problems with Quill mentioning her facial appearance though.
Cos a discussion about the merits of a hairstyle will naturally progress to how it frames the face.
Framing is one of the key factors to consider when choosing a hairstyle.

Sorry to be blunt, but I think her hair style is horrible. But much that teenagers are and do is horrible, so who cares?

Ziz wrote:Sorry to be blunt, but I think her hair style is horrible. But much that teenagers are and do is horrible, so who cares?

She's a carefree teen, she'll probably cringe when she is older and looks back.



-------------------------------------------------------------

Syl wrote: .... I translate this to mean "I have had my 5 minutes of fame so her hair can go back to normal now".

Pssst ...  Aren't you forgetting something?
They did not just get 5 minutes if fame, they get a nice fat cheque too.
They deserve every penny, imo , they have earned it cos they provoked lively forum discussions
Well played.

Jules wrote:

Ziz wrote:Sorry to be blunt, but I think her hair style is horrible. But much that teenagers are and do is horrible, so who cares?

She's a carefree teen, she'll probably cringe when she is older and looks back.

I do - and that's just because of loon pants.  

Jules wrote:

Ziz wrote:Sorry to be blunt, but I think her hair style is horrible. But much that teenagers are and do is horrible, so who cares?

She's a carefree teen, she'll probably cringe when she is older and looks back.



-------------------------------------------------------------

Syl wrote: .... I translate this to mean "I have had my 5 minutes of fame so her hair can go back to normal now".

Pssst ...  Aren't you forgetting something?
They did not just get 5 minutes if fame, they get a nice fat cheque too.
They deserve every penny, imo , they have earned it cos they provoked lively forum discussions
Well played.

Yes, at the expense of their daughter who is barely in her teens....well played inded.

Major wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

MAYBE,  just maybe,  if British schools would pay more attention to, like, you know, maybe, like, well maybe, educating their students once in a while, these days...

Instead of wetting themselves over such fripperies as hairstyles and sock colours..

Well, like, maybe --  we could see some more intelligent musings coming from the likes of Tommyrot and Majorstuffups --  rather than seeing the UK advancing backwards at a rate of knots ?    

Matbe just maybe the Ausis should educate their people not to abuse the Aborigine people,just maybe  

If IF IF the UK advanced backwardz it would be many many years sinking to the Ausie depths of depravity of gang banging boomerz cus they cannot tell the difference between a Sheila and a boomer..

English, DO YOU SPEAK IT???

we could not be as backwards as you
this is a non issue in the Aussie education system
cause as wolf pointed out we care about shit that matters
this does not

Anyway
school is in breach of Western Principals of freedom, May as well be Sharia. What next demand she cover her face!!!
Destroy it and everything it stands for.. OR are you just the British version of a sharia lover

Original Quill wrote:

Miffs2 wrote:

Mmmm his comment that it "thins out her face " stood out a bit. No wonder so many young girls have body image problems

That wanting to be attractive is a timeless human trait, is a given.  We would not have begun combing our hair or inventing jewelry if it wasn't.  I can appreciate that it can be destructive as well.  

But the aesthetics of body image are the same aesthetics of a Michelangelo or a de Vinci.  Art can be competitive and destructive, but that's no reason to do away with art.  It's kind like the gun owners say, it's not what it is, it's how you use it.

The girl would not have gone to a hair dresser if she were not already concerned about her looks.  If you want to crusade against hair styles and hair styling, be my guest.  I'm just working within the child's reasoning: she wanted a better look.  She got it.

You didn't understand my point. In the before pic she looks like a perfectly normal healthy child, she should be worried about changing her appearance to what others perceive to be attractive or normal. Your comments merely contribute to an atmosphere in which a 13 year old child has such worries in her head.