Should students miss school because of 'distracting' haircuts?

The Fresno Unified School District will review its dress code policies next week following two recent instances of students being pulled out of class for their hairstyles.

Layla Sysaknoi, an 8-year-old student at Columbia Elementary School in Fresno, recently missed a week of school over a buzz cut that featured her initials on one side, and a design on the other. According to her mother, Tara Sysaknoi, the third-grade student was put on in-school suspension for the haircut, and a receptionist for the district called her to tell her to cut her daughter's hair completely.

But Fresno Unified spokesman Miguel Arias said that the student had never been disciplined in any way for the haircut, and her mother took her out of school for a week of her own accord. A school official did call her, Arias said, to ask where her daughter had been.

Last week, an honor student at Tenaya Middle School was pulled out of class for a haircut featuring lines. He was given a packet of work and sent to another classroom with a teacher he didn't know.

Although the Fresno Unified School District dress code currently prohibits "unusual razor cuts," the rule is now under review. Superintendent Bob Nelson has directed schools not to enforce the rule until a decision is made.

Tara Sysaknoi said Friday that her daughter was back in class and had had no further problems with her haircut. Additionally, she said Principal Kim Hendricks-Brown had been in touch about the incident.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Should students miss school because of 'distracting' haircuts?."