Natural redhead banned from school for having hair that's too bright

[jimmy olsen]

Sounds like someone has an axe to grind if they're only choosing to ban her now after three years.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11539642/This-is-ginger-nuts-Natural-redhead-banned-from-school-for-having-hair-thats-too-bright.html

This is ginger nuts! Natural redhead banned from school for having hair that's too bright

Auburn-haired pupil Emily Reay, 17, is told her hair colour is inappropriate and she is barred from lessons until she changes her appearance

A naturally red-head school pupil has been barred from classes for being too ginger.

Student Emily Reay, 17, has sported the same vibrant ginger hair for the last three years. But on her return lessons following the Easter Break she was ordered to tone it down.

Teachers at Trinity School, Carlisle, Cumbria, decided the colour was inappropriate.

Now, during her last year of A-levels, Emily - who is naturally auburn - has been told she is banned from lessons until she changes her appearance.

Emily was informed of the action being taken at the end of Monday's assembly.

"I was very angry at first, and then burst into tears. I've had the same colour for the past three years, and nobody at school has commented on it," said Emily at her home in Carlisle.

Described as a stunningly talented musician, Emily maintains her ginger hair is her trademark.

"Everybody knows me as that 'young ginger singer'. For me it is a confidence thing, If I had to dye my hair brown, I would lose this," said Emily.

Her parents Julie and Andy Reay went to the school to discuss the matter with sixth-form headteacher Andrew Winter.

They claim they were told that Emily's hair colour needed to be changed by this Monday or she would not be allowed to continue her education.

"I had to dye my hair to a more natural colour, or tone it down considerably," said Emily.

"I offered to pin it up, or wear a beanie hat, but I was told 'no' to both."

Her parents are backing their daughter's decision not to change her hair colour.

"They had her in tears. They do not realise what her hair means to her. The irony is she is playing Scaramouche in the school's adaptation of We Will Rock You, which is about society suppressing people's creativity and self-expression," said mother Mrs Reay, 44.

"The school's uniform policy clearly states no unnatural hair colours, like blue or green. Is ginger not a natural hair colour?" she added.

Emily said: "I was told my hair had been a bone of contention since the beginning of the school year, but they had let it slip up until now.

"But the laughable thing is my hair was brighter than this on prom night, and I won best hairstyle award."


Mrs Reay added: "Emily has natural auburn hair, but her hair has been this colour for so long now it is part of her. It's like living in the Victorian times. I would say her education is more important."

Determined not to miss out on important lessons, Emily, said she would return to school with her hair pinned up.

"I have to hope nothing is said. It is too damaging a stage for my education."

Sixth-form head Mr Winter issued the following statement: "Trinity School sixth-form students are role models for the rest of the school.

"We have a policy of maintaining high standards. All sixth form students are issued with information about what is acceptable or unacceptable at the start of the academic year.

"The vast majority of parents are very keen on our high standards."

[Monoriu]

I don't get one thing - did she dye her hair at all?  If it is 100% natural, then it is indeed grossly inappropriate for the school to ban her.  But if she did dye her hair, then the school does have grounds to intervene, "I have kept this colour for 3 years" or not. 

[jimmy olsen]

I think she lightened her natuarlly red hair to make it brighter, but it's not an unnatural shade, I've seen people with that color before.

[Monoriu]

I think she lightened her natuarlly red hair to make it brighter, but it's not an unnatural shade, I've seen people with that color before.

That's no excuse.  Can Asian students dye their hair colour blonde?  Blonde colour exists as a natural hair colour.  If the rule says no hair dyes, then nobody can use hair dyes, natural red hair or not.

[Tonitrus]

It doesn't say that, though.  It says "no unnatural colors", which is the same rule the U.S. Air Force has.  You can dye your hair all you want, so long as the color is "natural". 

If her red colored hair is potentially natural, then it should be good-to-go.

[Monoriu]

It doesn't say that, though.  It says "no unnatural colors", which is the same rule the U.S. Air Force has.  You can dye your hair all you want, so long as the color is "natural". 

If her red colored hair is potentially natural, then it should be good-to-go.

  I can't believe that the US Air Force has more relaxed hair colour rules than my old school.  Our rule was, absolutely no hair products.  No dyes, no jel, nothing.  Teachers conducted spot checks on students by feeling their hair.  If they felt anything, they'd drag the students to washrooms to wash the jel off on the spot.

[Tonitrus]

Granted, from your example, I don't recall ever meeting anyone of an ethnicity, whose hair would only be black, have dyed blonde hair and try to argue that is still "natural".  But that is an extreme example.  For us white folk though, you could go from blonde to brown to black to red and no one might ever know which one was the original.

[Tonitrus]

It doesn't say that, though.  It says "no unnatural colors", which is the same rule the U.S. Air Force has.  You can dye your hair all you want, so long as the color is "natural". 

If her red colored hair is potentially natural, then it should be good-to-go.

  I can't believe that the US Air Force has more relaxed hair colour rules than my old school.  Our rule was, absolutely no hair products.  No dyes, no jel, nothing.  Teachers conducted spot checks on students by feeling their hair.  If they felt anything, they'd drag the students to washrooms to wash the jel off on the spot.

I can believe it, we love freedom here. 

[jimmy olsen]

I think she lightened her natuarlly red hair to make it brighter, but it's not an unnatural shade, I've seen people with that color before.

That's no excuse.  Can Asian students dye their hair colour blonde?  Blonde colour exists as a natural hair colour.  If the rule says no hair dyes, then nobody can use hair dyes, natural red hair or not.

Korean students can dye their hair brown or auburn. These are colors that occur naturally among Koreans, albiet in small numbers.

[Jaron]

Hong Kong is progressing. A couple decades ago a student with product in their hair was beheaded on the spot.

[Martinus]

Tim the Human Clickbait

[Zanza]

German students can dye their hair in any natural or unnatural color they want. Regulating hair color seems both pointless and illiberal.

[Monoriu]

German students can dye their hair in any natural or unnatural color they want. Regulating hair color seems both pointless and illiberal.

Not sure about Germany, but in HK, students have to wear school uniform.  Your hair colour is part of the "total look".  If students dye their hair in very odd colours, it reflects badly on the school. 

[Zanza]

Why does the hair color of a student reflect badly on the school? Who gives a fuck?

[Monoriu]

Why does the hair color of a student reflect badly on the school? Who gives a fuck?

Chinese basically all have black hair colour.  So if a young student's hair is in anything but black, he has dyed his hair.  Here, using hair dye is heavily associated with triads and criminals.  Especially for males.  It is more acceptable for females to dye their hair brown or blonde.  But it is somewhat difficult for schools to say only females are allowed to dye their hair brown, so the ban is usually universal.