School suspends cancer survivor teen over hair he plans to donate (PIOG)

[nova.mommy]

AP Photo/The Flint Journal, Lathan Goumas

UPDATE: Here's a link to the change.org petition started by J.T.'s mom.

A Michigan teen who survived a bout with leukemia has been suspended from school over the length of his long hair, which he is planning to donate.

The Detroit News reports that 17-year-old J.T. Gaskins has been growing out his hair since last summer in order to donate it to the Locks of Love charity. Gaskins said he was inspired to make the donation after learning that the sister of a family friend was diagnosed with cancer.

Gaskins was diagnosed with leukemia when he was just a year old and has been in remission since he was seven. "I fought cancer my entire life. I'm going to keep fighting this," Gaskins told the Detroit News. "I'm not going to not give back just because my school says no."

The Madison Academy in Burton says Gaskins' suspension has more to do with the unkempt style of his hair, rather than its length. The school's student handbook requires that boys' hair be, "clean, neat, free of unnatural or distracting colors, off the collar, off the ears and out of the eyes."

Gaskins says Locks of Love requires a 10 inch ponytail for a donation and that his hair is currently only 2 ½ inches long.

Locks of Love Communications Director Lauren Kukkamaa says that while they respect Gaskins' effort, they'd like to see him back in school.

"There are so many ways to support Locks of Love, and we are truly grateful for all of those efforts and this young man and his desire to give back," Kukkamaa said. "But certainly, we understand the school has its reasons for having certain policies in place."

Gaskins is also being encouraged by his mother Christa Plante, who says she supports her son's efforts "100 percent." Plante launched an online petition at Change.org for her son, which has received about 4,700 signatures so far.

"He's seen how it works and how it helped people, how it helped us," she said. "This is for him. He wants to do it now. This feels right," she said.

The petition asks the school to change their policy, allowing students to grow their hair for the Locks of Love charity. The new policy would require a student to sign a promissory note, research the respective cause they wish to support and to keep their hair "well-maintained" until the donation is made.

"I'm fighting for them to make it an option for kids to grow out their hair for Locks of Love, to make it a part of the school and raise awareness for all cancer charities out there that can help patients," Gaskins said. "It wouldn't be a change to where people find a loophole just to grow out their hair."

"I'm fine with all of their rules," Gaskins said. "I just think that with this, they could try to make a compromise."

[mom22tumblebugs]

It took 2 yrs for my daughter to grow her hair out for locks of love. He has a LONG way to go....

[TheJerseyGirl]

 If this is what he's truly doing, why cant they leave him alone?

[EireLass]

He and his parents knew the school rules going in. He should not be exempt. Just because you say you're doing it for this cause....it'll take a long while for it to get to the proper length....

[fatcat0908]

Why won't he just style it while at school to meet the dress code. If his intentions were 100% pure he would abide by the schools rules. While I don't doubt his intentions are good, part of him is just being rebellious and trying to cause waves. The school in no way is making him cut his hair, they are just asking for it to be styles more appropriately.

[CoeyG]

LOL requires at least 9-12 inches from base of skull if that photo is any indication he has at least another year to go to donate.  My daughter donates every two to three years, She gets her hair cut just above the shoulders and has enough to donate.  I've done LOL a couple of times myself.  I think the petition is a good idea, however I feel that in the interim he should abide by school policies.  He will be more credible if he abies by policy than rebel against it. 

[usmclife58]

This. And even Locks of Love has all but told him to back off....

Quoting EireLass:

He and his parents knew the school rules going in. He should not be exempt. Just because you say you're doing it for this cause....it'll take a long while for it to get to the proper length....

[ShanghaiTai]

What is wrong with people?  Have we not progessed since the 1960s?  When will adults realize that hair is not permanent -- no harm done.  Schools should let the kids wear their hair however they want and spend their time dealing with issues that matter.  Kids should follow the rules, but the rules should have a purpose other than idiocy.

[CoeyG]

Quoting ShanghaiTai:

What is wrong with people?  Have we not progessed since the 1960s?  When will adults realize that hair is not permanent -- no harm done.  Schools should let the kids wear their hair however they want and spend their time dealing with issues that matter.  Kids should follow the rules, but the rules should have a purpose other than idiocy.

Wrong, rules are broken.  Okay how about the cook in your favorite restaurant having long hair and when his hair sheds it gets into your food...Come on now no harm done...

[baileymarie723]

Quoting ShanghaiTai:

What is wrong with people?  Have we not progessed since the 1960s?  When will adults realize that hair is not permanent -- no harm done.  Schools should let the kids wear their hair however they want and spend their time dealing with issues that matter.  Kids should follow the rules, but the rules should have a purpose other than idiocy.

I agree with you. I can understand a school having students wear uniforms to prevent students from dressing provacative, or wearing shirts with obscene words or pictures on them, but to have a rule telling them how they HAVE to wear their hair is messed up. That is more the parents decision not the schools.

[baileymarie723]

Quoting CoeyG:

Yes one rule was broken, but it is a rule that the school should have no control over. The style and look of a childs hair should be the decision of the parent. A school having students wear uniforms is understandable to prevent provacative clothes or clothes with obscene words or pictures on them from being worn, but unless the child has some obscene or provacative design shaved on his (or her) head the school should have no say. As for a cook in a restaurant with long hair they would be wearing a hair net and there would be no harm done. My exboyfriend worked in a restaurant and had long hair. They did not make him cut it off as long as he was willing to wear a hair net to prevent his hair from getting into customers food. What if the cook was a woman? Her hair can shed just like a man's so does that mean she can't be a cook if she doesn't have short hair? Not trying to sound rude or anything, but it is a valid point to what you had said.