Splitting hairs
The mother of a St Joseph’s pupil suspended for an ‘outrageous’ hairstyle has said she was forced to compromise by putting colouring mousse on her son’s hair.
By Ursula Duddy
Jean McFadden, mother of 15 year-old Ryan, said that has found the entire situation ‘ridiculous’.
“I recieved a letter last Tuesday asking me to call up to the school in the morning. I only got it on that day at 11.30am so I had already missed the appointment,” she said.
“I still went up to the school and there was no way they were backing down. I ended up suggesting coloured mousse.”
The mousse costs £5 a bottle and Mrs McFadden said her son has to apply it every day before school and wash it out afterwards.
She feels her son has been victimised.
“While I was sitting waiting to go into the office I noticed pictures of boys on the noticeboard with far worse hairstyles than Ryan’s but when I said this to the principal he said that was before he was in charge.
“If that’s the case they shouldn’t be on the wall now.”
Mrs McFadden said she felt that her son was degraded: “I can’t tell you how angry I was having to sit there as my son was examined by the principal and vice principal to see if he was good enough for their school.”
Ryan showed Derry News pictures of classmates with shoulder-length hair on his mobile phone. His mother said: “How can that be acceptable when Ryan’s hair was short and neat with just a bit of colour.”
Mrs McFadden feels the school should not have a say in how pupils wear their hair: “It’s a human right to look how you want. When you get a school grant it’s only to buy a uniform it doesn’t say anything about hairstyles so I don’t think they should have a say. I don’t think that the school’s authority should be used to bully you.”
She added: “I never did this on purpose, I didn’t want any trouble. I just wanted to treat Ryan to having his hair done, I never thought it would become so ridiculous.”
