A school district in Michigan says there was no racial bias found by investigators in the cutting of a biracial student’s hair by a school employee.
Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education released a statement last Friday stating investigators found the employee to have violated school policy and did cut the girl’s hair without the knowledge of parents or the district administrator. However, they found no racial bias. This came after 7-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyer came home from Ganiard Elementary where 2 to 3 inches of hair off her right side of her head was cut off by one of her classmates. Two days later, Jurnee came home with the other side of her hair cut off by a school employee.
Christina Laster, the National Parents Union and a representative for the family, told USA TODAY were disappointed with the response. They state investigators never spoke with the father or his daughter, Journee. After a third-party investigation the school district states the employee who cut Jurnee’s hair will be placed on a “last chance” agreement, where any further violation may result in termination. Two other school employees were reprimanded after made aware of the situation but did not report it.
