Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wylie teen fights with school over hairstyle
School officials say LaKia Watkins' braids and colored hair violate dress code policy.
What would Wylie High say about Pippi Longstocking?
Wylie teenager LaKia Watkins and her mother have decided that they would rather remove LaKia from Wylie High School than conform with the demands of school officials, who say that LaKia's braids and plum-colored hair violate the school's dress code policy. Both LaKia and her mother say this is just the latest example of racism LaKia has experienced since enrolling in the school last fall.
Posted by Alex B.
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James Scott, verified:
When I clicked on the link, I fully expected something pretty outrageous looking, however, that hairstyle is about as far from "excessive" as I can imagine. I really hate it when racism becomes a possible motive, but I'm going to go out on a limb and bet there are a few "unnatural" looking blonde highlights running around the halls of that school that don't get called out.
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Scott Doyle, verified:
I don't think I'd have to check the roots if someone's hair was purple, James.
Seems the race card is a bit much. Pretty sure if a school has uniforms, they're going to frown on anybody with purple hair unless your skin happens to be <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317564,00.html">blue</a> (sorry for the fox link, PegNews, it was the first hit).
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, verified:
Race card? Bullsh*t.
It's more like crying wolf anymore.
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knucklehead12, anonymous:
Allow my high school days to come in handy for once. Through my freshman to sophomore year (<em>John Horn in Mesquite, reprezent</em>) there was a tacit double-standard.
My idiot friends and I would add colored gel to our hair (blue, green, other way-too-cool shades) and almost always get sent to the office for it and told to wash it out.
Meanwhile, dozens of black girls walked around undisturbed, donning red, blue, purple and everything in-between. Some of this wasn't really their hair, but some was.
We always figured no one, not even many of the African American faculty and administration, would say anything to the girls because they assumed it would incite a whole "racial" fiasco.
Fin.
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luniz, anonymous:
just shave 'em all bald, i say. kids don't need hair.
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Pavel Lishin, verified:
Insolent fool boy! It's a skin condition.
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Peter Stawicki, verified:
Lets drop the racism card. Lets just target the fact that this childs hair is not even disruptive. For god sake I had colored hair that I would fashion into a mowhawk on occassion (Love that elmers glue!) If you get sent home for something like that I understand but this girl is wearing current fashion. Stupidity is all this story is about - stupidity on the part of the school!
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Scott Doyle, verified:
Pete, I suppose you're against the uniforms just the same?
Not saying I support uni's, just wondering.
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What do you think?