Some students probably do not have the ability to concentrate as well as you or I might. I think it is wise for schools to mandate that students dress in a certain manner. I don't like school uniforms, but I do think dress codes are helpful. Students have all afternoon/night/weekend to express themselves. I'm sure there are plenty of places that allow workers to have pink hair, but there are also many who don't. I see nothing wrong with preparing them for a work environment which may not tolerate every act of "self-expression." Of course, when they move on to college, they can have whatever color hair they like (depending on the school), and also pick the job they want to apply for.

On a side note, I think this is something greek organizations are good for...often they kinda slap a kid upside the head, giving him/her the message that, "listen, earrings and colored hair don't make you cool, nor do they make you different."
-I'm sure some of you will have something to say about this...

Is that really true? You can't be gainfully employed anywhere in the world with pink hair? Assuming that's true (which I doubt) why should the same "rules" apply to students?

Even if you think it's a stupid rule, it isn't an "unjust" rule.

The school can mandate that you wear closed toed shoes, boys hair no longer than ear length, no holes in your jeans, etc. Quite simply, they are within their rights to do so. In breaking the rule, the student should accept the consequences, or the parent should move to a different school

Oh, and WHY is a bra and panties so different? There's nothing "private" showing... You can wear it on a beach! Why not in class?

Dress how you want on YOUR time. But at school, or at work, conform to the company's dress code. If your company allows pink hair and piercings, cool, if it doesn't, don't expect to be working there if you don't follow the rules. Same for school, don't expect to avoid suspension for breaking the rules.

Sounds like the girl is old enough to read a handbook...

The video wouldn't load on my computer. Does this girl go to a private or public school?

I'm coming up w/ nothing through Google News...

Anyone have a link to a story?

Can you find a JOB with pink hair? Sure...as someone said Hot Topic. Also, certain (not all) fast food places, record stores, tattoo parlors. Gainful employment implies not just having a job, but one that actually pays all of your bills. Is there an accounting or law firm somewhere in this world who has an employee with pink hair? Possibly, but I doubt they were hired that way, and it's probably 1 in a million places. Would the firm where you work hire an attorney (or even a runner) with pink hair?

Why should that apply to students? Education is not 100% book learning. It's social interaction, and people skills, and etiquette. If you went to a school that focused 100% on algebra, history, and biology and didn't care if it's students drooled on the desks or relieved themselves in the classroom as long as they had a 4.0, then I feel sorry for you.

I understand the young lady's viewpoint and I personally feel that she should be able to wear her hair however she wants. But....(and y'all knew there'd be a but, right?? ;) )

I agree with someone upthread who said she needs to learn to pick her battles. Unfortunately, you can't butt heads with the Powers That Be every single time you disagree with a rule. And shame on her mother for backing her.

I'm not some mindless prole who can't think for herself. I have four tattoos but the people that just hired me for an executive level job don't know that because I keep them covered in a corporate environment. Not sure if that's comparing apples and oranges; just wanted to state that I'm not on the record as being anti-individual.

But you can't turn your life into some Quixotic quest in which everything has to be just.the.way.you.want.it.

Edited to add:
When I was in high school, the administration had a rule that you had to wear socks. That's stuid, right? We all thought so. But wear socks I did. And I really don't think it stunted me in any way.

I wonder if her mom would let her go to a college interview with pink hair.

Her mother is letting her fail school because of her hair. I don't think college is even a concern right now. Especially ones that require an interview.

At the same time, I kinda agree with her mom. The girl's at that age where you really don't care what your parents have to say, and there's nothing that the mother can really do. She might as well stand back, watch her daughter fail, and then when she does, she'll realize that as much as it sucks, sometimes you just have to respect authority and follow the rules that are there. It's a shitty way of learning a lesson, but c'est la vie.

I disagree. First, my parents would have taken my car keys. Then they would have taken my cell phone. Then they would have cut off all spending $, and since I would have had to have my car to continue working, I wouldn't be able to make $ for myself. And then if I hadn't learned after all that, they probably would have sent me to boot camp. But then, that requires ACTUAL parenting...which it seems doesn't happen nowadays.

This is pretty much nonsense - while it may be true in limited parts of the nation (especially more 'traditional' or conservative locations), it's simply not the case in many parts of the nation, whether or not you spout it as such.

Also, ktsnake . . . I know this isn't exactly Tinker v. Des Moines, counselor, but c'mon, don't you think you're being a touch harsh?

Whether or not we feel the rule is appropriate or necessary, the punishment seems starkly out of line in relation to the violation.


ETA:

Look, you work for a plumbing company in the 'moderate' south - you have no basis for making this claim, and simply making it does not make it true. Accounting firms with pink hair - sure. Marketing firms? It may actually be the norm in some places. NYC? SF? C'mon - stop running mouth and start contributing meaningful conversation and not ridiculous platitudes.

I just watched the video... the girl has spent the first week in in-school suspension (ISS). She claims that she'll fail the first 9-weeks' grading period because she's missed five days. Having not been in high school for years now (thank God), maybe the ISS policy is different. But, it was always my impression that you weren't counted as absent if you were in ISS and that you were allowed to get class assignments and work on them while in ISS (thus attempting to prevent students in ISS from failing their classes). Like I said, I have no idea what the current policy is at that school, but it seems odd to me that she'd be failing. I didn't hear any mention of suspension (aside from ISS) for the infraction.

Has her freedom of expression been violated? Maybe. Is it a stupid rule? Maybe. But, it's a rule nonetheless. If some rules are allowed to be broken but not others, how do you know when it's appropriate to take action against the 'non-stupid' rules (i.e. not having weapons on campus)?

I can see both sides.

There must not be much going on in Houston (I think that's where they said this was happening) for this to be making headlines.

Ok, as a bank employee in the midwest, I'll state that not only are there no bankers/tellers with pink hair, but I haven't seen a movie theater employee, waiter, or sales clerk with pink hair either (and these aren't necessarily "careers" just jobs)

In the majority of "professional" fields, particularly those involving human contact, pink hair will not work. You can in fact work, and have a career, in fields where funky hair is the norm. These are the exception and you have to acknowledge that.

I right now I work in the Moderate south, but I've lived and worked and visited other places too. Growing up in IL, I've made enough trips to Chicago to know that it's not norm there, and that's a pretty liberal area. You can always find exceptions to norms, but for the most part, I doubt pink hair is acceptable in 95% of professional workplaces. Can I find stats to back that up? I hope not, because I hope no one's wasting their time polling places about whether pink hair is against the dress code.