What is wrong with people?! Seriously, I really want to know: What could possibly make an adult (an elementary school principal, no less!) tell an 11-year-old boy he would not be allowed to try out for basketball because of his pink mohawk -- the pink mohawk he was wearing to support his mother in her fight against breast cancer. Oh, and in the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
You probably want to believe this was some kind of misunderstanding, right? Sadly, no. In fact, it almost sounds as if principal Cynthia Frost has it in for 6th-grader Trevor Frost (but I'll get to that in a minute).
See, all the kids in Foster's family have hairstyles in honor of their mom. 9-year-old Jairis has pink highlights, Caleb and Trevor have pink mohawks with the breast cancer ribbon design shaved into the side. "You feel special because you know you are supporting," explains Trevor.
So you can only imagine how Trevor felt when he was walking out to his school bus and Frost stopped him to tell him that because of his mohawk, he couldn't try out for basketball.
"It made me feel sad and furious all at the same time," says Trevor. I bet! Especially because it felt all too familiar -- last year Frost told him to turn his pink shirt inside out and hand over an "I Love Boobies" bracelet -- both also worn as a show of support to Mom.
WHAT?! What is wrong with people?!
Thankfully, after Trevor's dad started a Facebook campaign and contacted "as many school board officials as he could find," Frost changed her tune (even offering to help him organize a breast cancer fundraiser and dressing in a pink suit). But Trevor is still hurt:
"She apologized but it didn't help much. I'm still disappointed that she said what she said. It was just wrong to say that."
Exactly. Just WRONG. And I can't wrap my head around it.
What do you think?
Why would a principal pick on an 11-year-old boy for a hairstyle meant to support his mom with breast cancer?
Image via Simon Carrasco/Flickr
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Comments 69
Something's are allowed and some aren't. Sucks she has cancer but it's not the schools responsibilty to bend the rules.
I've yet to find a school that allows those bracelets anymore.
A pink shirt will still be a pink shirt inside out....so what was written on it that could be covered up that way?
While the principal has followed protocol regarding the school's rules in as much as the dress code is concerned, she didn't yell, she pulled him aside and explained about the dress code reasoning as to why he couldn't try out for basketball, while i feel sorrow for his family's plight, she was only doing as her position dictated, if she makes allowances for one today, tomorrow she may just find herself facing a mob of angry parents holding discriminatory lawsuits in their hands stating she did this for one child etc...In the end she offered to help him with a fund raiser as well as showing her support by donning a pink suit. There is no need for anyone to take this any farther nor make it bigger than it is, dad needs to explain to Trevor that the Principal had rules to follow and they cannot be broken otherwise they lead to bigger problems, and that in the end it turned out better so let go of the anger because no injustice was done just rules being adhered to, no one was picking or signaling him out and if the adults keep pushing the issue then your behaviour is no better than that in which was mistaken of the principal, everyone go back to their lives, and Mrs Burt you have a very powerful weapon, please be careful when using it as it can make or break peoples lives in one slip.
And i forgot to mention the dress code in the schools are really strict, my niece's school assistant principal walks around with a tape measure to insure skirts are at the correct length, sweaters have to be the correct tonal color, they have an exact sleeve length, no pockets on the sweaters, no hoods on the sweaters or shirts, etc... if any of these rules aren't adhered to parents are called to pick up their child to change whatever the incorrect piece of clothing is and it counts as being tardy.
If he wants to support his mother then he can help her out around the house when she's going through treatment or raise money for charity. Walking around with a stupid haircut is not the least bit productive.
Keltic, I have to agree with Rhonda on this one. its nice that this kid is supporting his mother, but better support would be helping his mother as she goes through chemo or treatments, or help raise money for research at the hospital and so forth. As a breast cancer survivor, it annoys me that kids think that they can break the rules, just because their mom has cancer. They think they are untouchable. So now the kid gets in trouble and what are we discussing?? His stupid hair and shirt. My daughters wore the bracelets to school and was told to put them in their desks and that they were not part of the dress code. I wasnt pissed or took up a facebook campaign. I understood it was the rules and understood that just because I have cancer, I am not above the rules.
My children's school is strict on dress code but there is nothing about what kind of hair style they can have. There is a boy at my daughters high school that plays football with a mowhawk and its black with the strip a light brown/dirty blonde color. I personally don't care for it but what rule is it breaking?
No one says anything when a child or spouse shaves their entire head in support of a family member that has cancer. ---- I have even read of principals doing it!! ----