Burgess Hill haircut row girl is now excluded from school (From The Argus)

Burgess Hill haircut row girl is now excluded from school

12:02pm Friday 21st November 2008 in

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A Teenage girl banned from her classes until her brown hair dye grows out has now been excluded from school.

Jodie Brown has been sitting in the corridor off and on for eight weeks as she waits for her bob to return to its natural blonde.

Now the 14-year-old claims she has been temporarily excluded from school because she refused to leave classes when asked to by a teacher.

Jodie attends Oakmeeds Community College in Burgess Hill, the school where three teenagers were recently ordered into “isolation” for sporting crew cuts.

Jodie’s father Paul, 45, said he had taken the teenager for two haircuts to remove the dye but his daughter was still being forced to study alone.

He said: “On Tuesday, Jodie sat down but a teacher told her she had to leave. She refused and the teacher moved the entire class to anther room.

“Jodie followed and then teachers approached her and asked her to leave. In the end Jodie left because she didn’t want to disrupt the class.

“On her way out she was told she was being excluded. Rather than wait around she came home. That was at about 10am.

“The school eventually called at 5pm, even though she had been off all day.”

Plumber Mr Brown, of Woodland Avenue, Burgess Hill, said he received a letter from the school saying his daughter had been excluded for a day.

Mr Brown said Jodie attended for an exam yesterday and then returned home to study alone.

He added: “It’s ridiculous because it’s only a haircut and she loves school. All she wants to do is study for her exams.”

Ron Corbett, the deputy headteacher of Oakmeeds, said: “The majority of parents accept the uniform code and value our stance in an endeavour to raise standards.

“A small minority, however, feel it is appropriate to threaten to use The Argus and other local media as a vehicle to strike out against the college.

“We do not feel it is fair or justified to bow to such pressure. Indeed it is against our philosophy of working closely in partnership with students, parents and the local community.