http://www.dallasnews.com...b6e7c.html

Parents reject Mesquite ISD's compromise on boy's long hair

Four-year-old Taylor Pugh can return to class without cutting his hair, if he’ll wear it in braids that don’t touch his collar, the Mesquite school board ruled Monday night.

But his parents immediately rejected the compromise saying they would appeal to the state education commissioner in Austin.

“We just spent 30 minutes telling them why we couldn’t do that,” Taylor’s father, Delton Pugh said about braiding.

His mother said it takes too long and when she tried the braids before, he cried because they hurt.

Superintendent Linda Henrie said if the boy goes to class today with a ponytail, as his parents said he would, he would again be sent to the library.

“We have no plans to withdraw him at this time,” Henrie said.

Taylor can return to class if his hair is braided close to his head, over his ears and is not gathered in a bun on his neck.

Taylor, in pre-kindergarten at Floyd Elementary School, was separated from his classmates in November and has lessons in the library with an aide because his hair doesn’t meet the district dress code. It covers his ears and collar and often falls into his eyes.

He was at the meeting with his hair in a ponytail. He mother, Elizabeth Taylor, said he was spinning a quarter throughout the closed meeting with school board members.

Several parents spoke to the board before the ruling, complaining that their children had been pulled from class because of dress code issues. They talked with Pugh and his wife after they met with the school board in closed session.

“You’ve got a new extended family,” Yolanda Williams said.

The district also received national attention in the fall because of a dispute about a boy who wore in-fashion “skinny pants.”

Taylor’s case received international attention this month and had blog commenters debating the need for children to be taught to follow the rules vs. self-expression.

“Mesquite has been on the news too many times because of the dress code,” Williams told the board during the regular meeting.

Other members of the Williams family recounted specific problems they had with code enforcement.

“Education is more important that keeping kids out of class because their pants are too tight around the calves,” said Joycelyn Williams, whose 13-year-old daughter Taylah Woods attends McDonald Middle School. Williams said her daughter missed a half-day of class as she argued with school administrators about the pants issue.

Two cousins also told the board their children had been pulled from class for several hours because of small items that they believe didn’t violate the dress code.

Other parents defended the code.

Lois Buford, who has two children in the district, said she appreciates the strict code.

“The hair policy in our district encourages our children to fit into mainstream society,” she said. “It keeps other students from being distracted by people trying to make a statement with their dress.”

After about an hour in closed session, the board formally voted not to grant an exemption for Taylor’s hair, but to offer him a modified exemption – to wear this hair in braids.

Pugh again said he thought the district as was being unreasonable. “This isn’t Nazi Germany,” he said.

There have been several legal ruling allowing school districts to uphold dress codes, but there still are disputes.

Board President Cary Tanamachi said the district must consider all 37,000 students and “to grant exemptions would be chaos.”

He said the board probably will look at the policy this summer.

“Right now we are happy with the dress code,” he said, “because it is so well-accepted.”

The parents.

Vendetta1 said:

There's a dress code that should be adhered to. Simple as that. They should accept that or pull their kid out and take him elsewhere.

Plenty of time for him to not conform when he's a teen, his parents will find that out, seeing that's how they're conditioning him.

Still, their fleeting 15 minutes of fame.

“The hair policy in our district encourages our children to fit into mainstream society,” she said. “It keeps other students from being distracted by people trying to make a statement with their dress.”



If you don't like the schools lame-o policies, change schools. It's that simple.

The Parents This thing with their son's hair has been going on for a year now and mean while their child has to be taught away from other kids This child is 4 yrs old and they're sending the wrong message. In life you can't always have it your way there are rules and regulations to everything and besides I thought it was all about education anyway not appearance.

that's what you get for living in shitty ass texas. MOVE!

Oh, yeah... I saw this on the news.

The parents. I mean, damn- he's 4! It kills me sometimes at some of the ridiculous thinks I see on little kids in the mall.

What's more important, starting him off with an education, or proving some point?


When I was in 8th grade, a girl came in with hot pink hair and was sent home. A week later, she came back with blue hair, and said, "You said I couldn't have pink." She was sent home again. That was 1981 or '82.
The school was wrong that time- the VP was a bitch, and just wanted things her way. There was no policy.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

It's all a bunch of BS. As long as it's not harming anyone, who the hell cares?

I'd have my child in a different school in a heartbeat.

Marrk said:

Exactly. I'm all for kids being individuals but they really should not start him off this early in life breaking rules. When he grows up and goes off into the workforce, there are going to be tons of places he won't be able to wear his hair how he likes. it's life. He better get used to it.

Easily the parents.

CarrieMpls said:

While dress codes are nothing but pure, unadulterated meaningless bullshit -and they ARE -something like this is not worth the fight. The parents should put the kid in a school with an administration that doesn't get a kick out of enforcing arbitrary rules for the sake of having rules.


As for the school board itself? Those folk need a kick in the teeth. I can think of a huge list of things they should be concerning themselves with before fussing over a four year old's hair. Maybe doing something nutty like ensuring the kid is educated or something. I don't know.

By all means, teach a 4-year-old that defying authority is the way to path to happiness. Who cares if he learns anything or can hold a job when he grows up?

Genesia said:

I was going to post something very similar to this. it would be different if the parents didn't know what the rules were but they did and chose to ignore them. I think it sets a bad example for the kid.

I blame the grandparents..they should have taught the 4 year olds parents to choose their battles...

thejason said:

SCNDLS said:

easily the school board, since they are tax funded. if this were a private school, id say the parents.

but since they are tax-funded and just making gender jabs, the school board.
i know mesquite, texas. not surpsingly, it's an extremely conservative religious town.

we were up against mequite in school competitions. the wierdest texas moment in my life was in mesquite. we travelled there for theatre one-act competition. as we were standing outside a pickup full of good ol' boys roared past us at about 40 mph in a school zone, with two of the guys in the back trying to rope a stop sign.

it's not a great town.
[Edited 1/12/10 18:41pm]

Picking your battles is no substitute for having a lick of sense.

The parents.

You use to be able to categorically say, Momma wasn't no fool. These days I'm not sure, it's up for debate.

Genesia said:

picking a battle that a goverment institution really has no right to make ridiculous demands like your hair has to be an acceptable length bsed on gender seems like a smart battle to show children.

Genesia said:

agreed...

but since possession of sense in any form isn't needed to function in this world anymore, these motherfuckers need to have some sort of life skill going for them...

cborgman said:

A school district not only has the right to set reasonable standards aimed at fostering an atmosphere conducive to learning, it has a responsibility to do so.

For parents to teach their child that they are above rules that apply to everyone is wrong.

cborgman said:

thejason said:

Point taken.

It is close, however, don't schools have more to worry about then a kid with long hair?

Long hair and skinny jeans disrupts learning?

Genesia said:

Genesia said:

reasonable standards, absofreakinglutely. i really hope that all schools are cracking down on the jeans hanging sub-ass level, because that's reasonable.

hair length i find no reasonability in, particularly when it is based solely in gender. they would never tell a girl she had to cut her hair.

Genesia said:



demonstrate how long hair on a boy in any way hinders the process



I agree, but then again there is no federal law offering kids protection form silly parents. there is a federal law that says kid should have access to education. length of hair or pierced ears are not going to hurt the education process. what hurts it is all the full the adults are making over it while the kid is being segregated.