State civil rights officers investigating Mt. Nice haircut incident | Native Information

Michigan’s best civil rights officer weighed on the mountain. Pleasant girl who had her hair cut by a school worker and said that laws are needed to protect black and biracial women from discrimination based on hairstyles.

James E. White, director of the Michigan civil rights division, said his division is gathering information and deciding what to do next.

“We are deeply concerned about the reported incident at a school in Mt. Pleasant that involved a 7-year-old child whose hair was cut without parental consent,” White said.

“We are in contact with the school administration and the child’s family to determine the facts and circumstances that led to this unfortunate event and to decide what to do next.”

White said lawmakers should address the issue.

“This situation shows the need for legislation to make it clear that discrimination against a person because their hairstyle does not conform to prevailing cultural standards is racial discrimination,” he said. “It is not uncommon for black and biracial women and girls to be discriminated against and treated differently because of their hair.”

White said the CROWN Act, which is currently under scrutiny in state parliament, would make it clear that such discrimination is a violation of an individual’s civil rights.

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools admitted last week that one of their employees cut the hair of a mixed race child and his superintendent apologized to the family.

District chief Jennifer Verleger sent a letter to the district’s families Tuesday saying that Jurnee Hoffmeyer’s hair had been cut twice, both times without parental consent.

One of these haircuts involved two Ganiard Elementary employees, the letter said. One was a library clerk who is also a beautician. The other was Hoffmeyer’s teacher.

“On Friday, March 26th, the library clerk cut the student’s hair at the student’s request and without permission from the student’s parents or without consulting the school administrators,” the letter said. “Regardless of their good intentions, these measures are unacceptable and show a lack of judgment on the part of our two employees.

“Both staff members have admitted their actions and apologized. Both are being reviewed for further disciplinary action in accordance with our school policies and procedures. I personally apologized to the family on behalf of the school district.”

The library clerk cut Hoffmeyer’s hair, the letter said after Hoffmeyer asked her to smooth out her curls after a student’s first haircut on March 23. The library clerk brought professional hair clippers and special hair clips for the child, the letter said.

In the publisher’s letter it is said that Hoffmeyer asked the other student to cut her hair, and that the student took scissors from a classroom and did so on a trip home on public transport. The next day the headmaster sat down and discussed the matter with both students.

News of the haircut was reported in the Black Wall Street Times last week after speaking to Hoffmeyer’s father, Jimmy.

The article was shared around the world. People from all over the world turned on the mountain on Monday evening. Pleasant school board meeting that lasted from 6:30 p.m. until after midnight.

Dozens of people – most of them are not residents of the mountain. Pleasant and many of them non-Michigan residents – express anger at the incident. More than one person warned the school board that the world was watching their reaction.

One of them was Jimmy Hoffmeyer, who tried twice to comment.

After a few hours, the public comment was cut off so that the board could deal with the rest of its agenda.

At the beginning of the meeting, a statement about the incident was read to the public, which found the coverage of the Black Wall Street Journal to be inaccurate.

On Tuesday, Jimmy Hoffmeyer said he was angry about the district’s characterization of coverage.

Hoffmeyer had contacted an officer with the mountain. Pleasant police department but no report was made, said Autume Balcom, MPPD spokeswoman. Hoffmeyer informed the officer that he intended to discuss the matter with the school authorities.

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was created by the Michigan Constitution to provide constitutional and legal guarantees against discrimination. The commission is tasked with investigating alleged discrimination against a person on the basis of religion, race, skin color or national origin, genetic information, gender, age, marital status, height, weight, arrest records and physical and mental disabilities.