Teacher Cuts Off 1st Grader's Braid In Front Of Class

[Lovejac]

I don't think this has been posted yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Aq1WeS6VCs .

That kid is amazingly cute. You can see the cut braid, too.

Thank you for posting that. What an adorable little girl! I wonder why the teacher only cut off one braid? I was picturing a little girl with her hair braided down the back.

 

[southcitymom]

Thank you for posting that. What an adorable little girl! I wonder why the teacher only cut off one braid? I was picturing a little girl with her hair braided down the back.

It sounds like the girl was just fiddling with this one braid in the front and the teacher couldn't get her to stop.

Of course, as a former little girl, I recall twisting, fiddling with and even chewing on pieces of my hair while bored in class.

 

[Marine Mom]

Thank you for posting that. What an adorable little girl! I wonder why the teacher only cut off one braid? I was picturing a little girl with her hair braided down the back.

Me, too. (Yes, she is an adorable little girl.) Was she twirling a braid between her fingers?

 

[Lovejac]

“I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing,” Cammon said. “She threw it away, and she said, ‘Now what you gonna go home and say to your momma? ‘ And I said, ‘That you cut off my hair,’” Cammon said

What a taunting statement!!!

 

[southcitymom]

“I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing,” Cammon said. “She threw it away, and she said, ‘Now what you gonna go home and say to your momma? ‘ And I said, ‘That you cut off my hair,’” Cammon said

What a taunting statement!!!

You put our picture as your profile! I'm pretty sure we were chewing some hair in December 1973! Can't wait to see y'all soon!!! :dance::dance::dance::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

ETA - back on topic - yeah, the teacher lost it.

 

[MissieMt]

IIRC, in the state of Georgia (where I was involved in civil litigation for a number of years), you cannot go for punitive damages unless you have actual damages. It may be different elsewhere.

So, here at least, they would have to prove actual damages before they could even ask for punitive damages to be considered. And from my experience, punitive damages are hard to get - you really have to prove some active malice.

I think the best way to send a message regarding this teacher is through the school system not the court system.

Thank you SCM for inspiring me to log on to post instead of just lurk! I must respectfully disagree.
To say there is no malice or actual damage made my jaw drop. I know from personal experience that it takes only one really bad incident at school for a childs view of school to be ruined. I had something happen to me (and it wasn't even as bad as this, imo) in 4th grade and it followed me all the way to high school, where I eventually could not take the constant teasing and fear of being teased anymore and I dropped out. As for the malice, she obviously wanted to see this child suffer. She was angry and frustrated, and she wanted the child to feel what she was feeling.
This little girl needs to be shown, not just told, that what this teacher did to her was wrong. Since the school and LE refuse to show her that I think it is now her Mom's responsibility to step up and prove to her little girl that she did not deserve this kind of treatment. If it takes a lawsuit to do so, then so be it. If I could speak to her Mom I would tell her to stand up for her baby girl and show her that this was wrong.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Thank you SCM for inspiring me to log on to post instead of just lurk! I must respectfully disagree.
To say there is no malice or actual damage made my jaw drop. I know from personal experience that it takes only one really bad incident at school for a child's view of school to be ruined. I had something happen to me (and it wasn't even as bad as this, imo) in 4th grade and it followed me all the way to high school, where I eventually could not take the constant teasing and fear of being teased anymore and I dropped out. As for the malice, she obviously wanted to see this child suffer. She was angry and frustrated, and she wanted the child to feel what she was feeling.
This little girl needs to be shown, not just told, that what this teacher did to her was wrong. Since the school and LE refuse to show her that I think it is now her Mom's responsibility to step up and prove to her little girl that she did not deserve this kind of treatment. If it takes a lawsuit to do so, then so be it. If I could speak to her Mom I would tell her to stand up for her baby girl and show her that this was wrong.

That teacher would be bald today if it were my child. I wouldn't care if I had to yank every hair out one by one...or use a electric shaver. That woman would be BALD I tell ya!

 

[southcitymom]

Thank you SCM for inspiring me to log on to post instead of just lurk! I must respectfully disagree.
To say there is no malice or actual damage made my jaw drop. I know from personal experience that it takes only one really bad incident at school for a childs view of school to be ruined. I had something happen to me (and it wasn't even as bad as this, imo) in 4th grade and it followed me all the way to high school, where I eventually could not take the constant teasing and fear of being teased anymore and I dropped out. As for the malice, she obviously wanted to see this child suffer. She was angry and frustrated, and she wanted the child to feel what she was feeling.
This little girl needs to be shown, not just told, that what this teacher did to her was wrong. Since the school and LE refuse to show her that I think it is now her Mom's responsibility to step up and prove to her little girl that she did not deserve this kind of treatment. If it takes a lawsuit to do so, then so be it. If I could speak to her Mom I would tell her to stand up for her baby girl and show her that this was wrong.

In the legal arena, civilly, actual damages mean one thing, MM - money damages. The only money damages I can find here is if the child needed to pay to go see a counselor. I hope she doesn't, of course.

Also, I didn't mean to imply that there was no actual malice. I meant to imply that it would, IMHO, be difficult to prove actual malice in the course of seeking punitive damages.

If I were the parent in question, it would never in a million years cross my mind to file a civil lawsuit based on what I know of this case today. That would, for me, not send the message I would want to send to my child or to the rest of the world. I would work very hard to encourage the school to respond strongly to this teacher. I do not think she should be teaching this grade. Without knowing a lot more about the teacher's history, I'm unwilling to speculate further as to what might be appropriate.

I am sorry for what happened to you that followed. One of my sisters had a similar experience and most of her school years were brutal. You are right that kids can be so very cruel - adults certainly shouldn't model that behavior for them.

 

[Truthful Lies]

I don't care if I'm disliked for my opinion...I bet that teacher was at the end of her rope. The child was probably obstinate. NOT AN EXCUSE to cut her hair off...but I would have lost it, too. Those braids are seriously annoying. Psychological damage? Please. It's HAIR!!!! Every kid has had some humiliating experience in school - tell me one that doesn't! Waste of time that so much attention is being paid to dead protein. She should have just sent her out of the room.

 

[miimaa]

It sounds like the girl was just fiddling with this one braid in the front and the teacher couldn't get her to stop.

Of course, as a former little girl, I recall twisting, fiddling with and even chewing on pieces of my hair while bored in class.

Did you see Lamya on tv? She showed how she had been playing with her hair -- playing with the braids and click/clacking the beads together. Now I think the teacher was totally WRONG to cut the hair but I could see too how that click/clacking would get to a person. The teacher should have sent a note home about the click/clacking of the beads.

 

[Salem]

I feel somewhat better after seeing the video and seeing that only a part of the braid was cut off. Not as much damage as I had thought because I was originally picturing a long braid down the child's back.

But on another note - I feel a little worse about what the teacher's motive actually was? How did cutting one beaded braid help? Except to humiliate the child and cause her emotional and mental pain? How did it help? I don't understand that? If I was this child's parent, I would be having a heart to heart with my daughter to verify whether or not other abusive behavior had been directed at her.

I'm thinking this teacher did not like the child and so the teacher "lost it". And fwiw's, teachers should not lose it in front of first graders.

Salem

 

[Boyz_Mum]

I don't care if I'm disliked for my opinion...I bet that teacher was at the end of her rope. The child was probably obstinate. NOT AN EXCUSE to cut her hair off...but I would have lost it, too. Those braids are seriously annoying. Psychological damage? Please. It's HAIR!!!! Every kid has had some humiliating experience in school - tell me one that doesn't! Waste of time that so much attention is being paid to dead protein. She should have just sent her out of the room.

I couldn't dislike you for your opinion (we all have them).

Even if the child had been obstinate, the teacher could have found a different way of dealing with it. (I do think the teacher should pay for a replacement braid, if it's possible to weave one in the spot where the other one was.)

If the teacher was at the end of her rope and the kids were on her last nerve, she never should have put her hands on the child (or the scissors to her hair). Teachers are limited to what they can do, as far as punishment is concerned, but this one over stepped her boundaries in a big way, IMO.

As a side note, it might be a good plan from someone out there to invent some "non clicking/clanking beads for braids"... I'm just saying. :crazy:

 

[STEADFAST]

I couldn't dislike you for your opinion (we all have them).

Even if the child had been obstinate, the teacher could have found a different way of dealing with it. (I do think the teacher should pay for a replacement braid, if it's possible to weave one in the spot where the other one was.)

If the teacher was at the end of her rope and the kids were on her last nerve, she never should have put her hands on the child (or the scissors to her hair). Teachers are limited to what they can do, as far as punishment is concerned, but this one over stepped her boundaries in a big way, IMO.

As a side note, it might be a good plan from someone out there to invent some "non clicking/clanking beads for braids"... I'm just saying. :crazy:

I thought the same thing! They could be made out of rubber. Let's make some and sell them. Lamya could star in our commercials. "Now that I use Shhhh'Beads, my teachers don't go berserk and attack me with scissors."
We need a better name for the product, though.

 

[Boyz_Mum]

I thought the same thing! They could be made out of rubber. Let's make some and sell them. Lamya could star in our commercials. "Now that I use Shhhh'Beads, my teachers don't go berserk and attack me with scissors."
We need a better name for the product, though.

I like the "Shhhh! Beads" name! (I have a friend in the plastic injection molding biz and I'm gonna ask him if he can make a soft plastic bead to market. I would think it would be nice for the wearer of the beads too? Can you imagine the "clankity, click" sound every time you moved? I'd rip my own hair out!:blushing

I love your slogan too!

 

[southcitymom]

I don't care if I'm disliked for my opinion...I bet that teacher was at the end of her rope. The child was probably obstinate. NOT AN EXCUSE to cut her hair off...but I would have lost it, too. Those braids are seriously annoying. Psychological damage? Please. It's HAIR!!!! Every kid has had some humiliating experience in school - tell me one that doesn't! Waste of time that so much attention is being paid to dead protein. She should have just sent her out of the room.

Did you see Lamya on tv? She showed how she had been playing with her hair -- playing with the braids and click/clacking the beads together. Now I think the teacher was totally WRONG to cut the hair but I could see too how that click/clacking would get to a person. The teacher should have sent a note home about the click/clacking of the beads.

I absolutely GET that this teacher was sent scurrying over the edge by seriously annoying behavior. I'll bet most every parent here gets it. I don't care if you have the patience of Job, kids can drive you nuts fast....and in a classroom group....YIKES! My sons are less annoying than many their age and they still make weird noises and do weird things over and over again and some days until I want to sell them on Ebay.

BUT - that's what you sign up for when you have/work with kids. You have to be mature enough to NOT do some of the nutty things you may want to do.

Like TruthfulLies, I'm hard-pressed to think that something like this could cause anything resembling hardcore, severe psychological damage. Now, some kids are super-sensitive (my goddaughter is such a child) and would feel this more acutely. Every adult in the child's life should stand behind her and let her know what this teacher did was WRONG. But I also hope every adult in her life stands behind her and lets her know that she is strong enough to move past it.

 

[southcitymom]

I feel somewhat better after seeing the video and seeing that only a part of the braid was cut off. Not as much damage as I had thought because I was originally picturing a long braid down the child's back.

But on another note - I feel a little worse about what the teacher's motive actually was? How did cutting one beaded braid help? Except to humiliate the child and cause her emotional and mental pain? How did it help? I don't understand that? If I was this child's parent, I would be having a heart to heart with my daughter to verify whether or not other abusive behavior had been directed at her.

I'm thinking this teacher did not like the child and so the teacher "lost it". And fwiw's, teachers should not lose it in front of first graders.

Salem

This may well be true. I would of course be interested in what their relationship has been like this year.

 

[redheadedgal]

I don't care if I'm disliked for my opinion...I bet that teacher was at the end of her rope. The child was probably obstinate. NOT AN EXCUSE to cut her hair off...but I would have lost it, too. Those braids are seriously annoying.

at the end of her rope? b/c of a first grader? b/c of hair beads?


as a teacher myself, uh uh, no way should something like hair beads cause you this much bother. there are better/more strategic ways to handle things... and sometimes u just need to get creative: she's playing with her hair/beads and making noise? ok-- it's her turn to wear the "thinking cap" (any kind of hat or toque) which impedes hair playing/twisting but which would also give her self-esteem a boost b/c she'll now feel special/smarter and will most likely behave appropriately b/c you've given her something to wear that the other kids don't have (she'll think it's a reward for something maybe) and she'll want to keep wearing it. and she can, as long as she then behaves appropriately :angel:

the teacher's reaction just reinforces that she's easily provoked and the kids will now know her buttons can easily be pushed... and they might act up more often to see her reactions now. of course on the flip side-- she might've scared them so much they don't want to go to class anymore :shakehead:


her action was heinous... and IMO, criminal. and VERY unprofessional.

a teacher does not cut hair... and just like those who hit a student or those who have sexual relations with one, this one needs to be fired and never ever work with young children again.


btw, i wish i had this girl's address... i'd send her some new pretty beads :rocker:

 

[Lovejac]

at the end of her rope? b/c of a first grader? b/c of hair beads?


as a teacher myself, uh uh, no way should something like hair beads cause you this much bother. there are better/more strategic ways to handle things... and sometimes u just need to get creative: she's playing with her hair/beads and making noise? ok-- it's her turn to wear the "thinking cap" (any kind of hat or toque) which impedes hair playing/twisting but which would also give her self-esteem a boost b/c she'll now feel special/smarter and will most likely behave appropriately b/c you've given her something to wear that the other kids don't have (she'll think it's a reward for something maybe) and she'll want to keep wearing it. and she can, as long as she then behaves appropriately :angel:

the teacher's reaction just reinforces that she's easily provoked and the kids will now know her buttons can easily be pushed... and they might act up more often to see her reactions now. of course on the flip side-- she might've scared them so much they don't want to go to class anymore :shakehead:


her action was heinous... and IMO, criminal. and VERY unprofessional.

a teacher does not cut hair... and just like those who hit a student or those who have sexual relations with one, this one needs to be fired and never ever work with young children again.


btw, i wish i had this girl's address... i'd send her some new pretty beads :rocker:

You, my friend, are in the right profession! I hope my boys have teachers as awesome as you.

 

[Salem]

redheadedgal - what Lovejac said! Thank you! That needed to be said and you did it very well.

On another note - I sent an email to the email address that was provided a couple of pages back and I received a very nice reply. I'll post it if anyone wants to see it, but basically it said that the District was upset that this had happened, they couldn't talk about personnel matters but they were looking into it and thanked me for my concern.

Salem

 

[Albert18]

Grab the reins people.

This is a minor non-event that has been elevated to the status of two shootings and a bank robbery.

Let's teach children how we adults get mean and nasty with each other and then how we run to lawyers and the press to get even more mean and nasty.