A Seattle writer is angry beyond words, because late last month his 8-year-old child was removed from her honors elementary school class. No, the child did not misbehave. Instead, the little girl was guilty of using a hair moisturizer that allegedly annoyed her Caucasian teacher. Now the NAACP has joined the angry dad in filing a complaint against the child's school.
Charles Mudede, the father, claims that the school administrators at Thurgood Marshall Elementary initially moved his child out of her honors classroom, placing her in a hallway and then, ultimately, moved her to another classroom. Why?
Because the child's teacher stated that she was allergic to the smell of the olive oil moisturizing hair lotion that the little girl used, Organic Root Stimulator (pictured below).
Mudede's daughter, who is biracial, is an honor's student and the only child of color in her grade's accelerated program.
After the teacher complained about her hair grease, though, the child was permanently placed in a classroom with predominantly African American children who were academically not on par.
The child's parents were never even contacted about the matter.
"I couldn't comprehend it. I was really try to make sense of it and that took a while. My daughter kept saying that she was afraid and it's your hair and that she could come into her class to get her work, then go to another class for the rest of the day."
The family contacted the NAACP, and the organization has taken the reins on this case by filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. The civil rights organization says that the incident has "less to do about hair and more to do with how the whole situation was handled."
Mudede and his wife have also decided to hire an attorney. Until the matter is settled, Mudede writes in his blog, The Stranger:
"We decided not to send our daughter to school until the teacher had medical proof that our daughter's hair or something in her hair was to blame for the nausea. (The last thing you want to happen to your daughter is for a teacher to faint or vomit at the mere sight of her.) Days passed and the school took no action. This unresponsiveness left us with no other choice than to turn to a lawyer. The whole thing is a mess. Getting entangled in a racial dilemma is something most black parents do not want for their children. It's just not worth the trouble. Then again, like I said, if not checked and confronted, the incident will have permanent consequences for my child."
In a statement, the school district told King 5 News:
"We're concerned and we're looking into it. Our priority is to get the child back in school."
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This is a very disturbing story. Also, I am angered about how the school handled the situation! I feel the girl and her parents pain and I give kudos to the NAACP and parents of handling the situation. This school will regret this little girl and the teacher should be fired not only of the allergies I understand but because of the discrimination of the girl!
why didn't the teacher just call the parents? the teacher could have asked if the child could use a different product. the teacher could have moved the child further away from the desk he/she uses. once again, a case of teachers lording it over kids! they know the kids can't talk back without getting in trouble.
Why do they call the paved area on the playground the Blacktop?
God, It's racist as hell.
Why won't the US government answer my pleas to change the term "Blacktop" on the school playground to the "Interracial Area of harmonious enlightening of racial equality awareness play area" ??
Well ??
What's up with the slow response from Congress on this whole Blacktop school playground issue?
And why do the put the Basketball Nets on the Blacktop? What are they trying to say about racial equality?
Question: My toast is coming out burnt even though I set the toaster on low...hmmm. Should I remodel my kitchen, and replace all of the appliances? Rip up the floor, repaint the walls and fix the windows? Or, should I just fix/replace the toaster?
Answer: You would fix/replace the toaster because that's the only thing that's broken.
In other words, just have the girl stop using the conditioner, and don't give me this stuff about doing whatever she wants. She'd eight years old! Plain and simple. And for that matter, why do 8 year-olds have honor classes anyway? Aren't they...8?!?!
Its called the blacktop because its paved with tar, which is black you moron, it gets dark because the earth spins to where the sun is shining on the other side of the earth,woow are you really this retarded? Conspiracy? What are you smoking? Oh an where do you expect them to put the nets?In the sandbox? or maybe the grass?
Jesus Christ you pathetic bunch of babies thats not racism, its called a slight misunderstanding. Yeah big deal the girl was pulled out of class; does really constitute the NAACP getting involved. No it doesn't, two things need to happen. First off the teacher must be suspeneded from pay for a week for not informing the parents. Second of all, the girl either stops using the olive oil shampoo or she accepts the fact she needs to switch classes due to the teachers allergy. Its as simple as that people.
I'm sure that this particuliar day was not the first time this student had used this product and came to school. To the person that made the comment: why is she in an honor class...she is 8 yrs. old. Evidently she is "smart" (if you could not figure that out, I'm sure you were never an honor student)that's why she is in an honor class.The teacher is prejudice and did not want her in her class so she used whatever "lie" she could to have her removed. The parents should should have been contacted and asked to use a different hair product on there daughter, if in fact the teacher is truly allergic. And yes, the parents are within their rights to retain a lawyer.
Hon, if you go to his blog, there is a comment written by the parent of someone else in the class that says that the parents were notified that the teacher was having problems due to construction being done on her house that had wacked out her allergies and asked them NOT to wear fragrances, and chemicals due to the allergy's severity.
He says he was never notified, but if she spent 1/2 the day in another room because of the problem, why did she wear the product back in? Seems to me that someone was either trying to provoke the teacher or thought that they didn't apply to her request.
The "Olive Oil" product also had several other chemicals in it, along with Peanut Oil - and we all know how bad a peanut allergy can be.
The parent went on to rant about a lot of other things in his blog, but he never really answered the question about why he let her wear the product in the next day AFTER her being moved out of the classroom for the teacher's health.
Would you rather let the little girl stay in the classroom, and the teacher be hospitalized? That woman has a right to work in a healthful environment, and she DID request that the children not wear or bring chemical or fragrances in class.
Also, how do you know that the principal wasn't the one to decide where to put her and not the teacher? All you are reading is the stuff the father wrote - and I think he's trying to make way too much out of this. Perhaps to get him more readers on his blog, or give him more publicity, or perhaps to drum up enough public outrage to justify him suing the teacher and district. I hope they countersue or succeed in getting his greedy attempt to get money out of the district thrown out on the basis that HE or his family caused the problem deliberately AFTER the teacher asked for the cooperation of the students.
He is making this into a racial issue. If the teacher was a racist, why did she wait to June to do something that was racist? If she was racist, she would have done it earlier in the year. This idiot wants to crucify the teacher who only wanted to work in peace and not be physically attacked by the fumes of this product.
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Comments: (471)
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By: Megan O. on 6/07/2010 10:39AM
This is a very disturbing story. Also, I am angered about how the school handled the situation! I feel the girl and her parents pain and I give kudos to the NAACP and parents of handling the situation. This school will regret this little girl and the teacher should be fired not only of the allergies I understand but because of the discrimination of the girl!
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By: robin on 6/07/2010 4:19PM
why didn't the teacher just call the parents? the teacher could have asked if the child could use a different product. the teacher could have moved the child further away from the desk he/she uses. once again, a case of teachers lording it over kids! they know the kids can't talk back without getting in trouble.
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By: WW on 6/07/2010 4:23PM
Allergys can kill or make you sick for days. The teacher could leave the class or the girl. What is best?
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By: PemFred on 6/07/2010 6:08PM
I just have one question?
Why do they call the paved area on the playground the Blacktop?
God, It's racist as hell.
Why won't the US government answer my pleas to change the term "Blacktop" on the school playground to the "Interracial Area of harmonious enlightening of racial equality awareness play area" ??
Well ??
What's up with the slow response from Congress on this whole Blacktop school playground issue?
And why do the put the Basketball Nets on the Blacktop? What are they trying to say about racial equality?
We need to sue someone.
Report This
By: Sean on 6/07/2010 6:41PM
Question: My toast is coming out burnt even though I set the toaster on low...hmmm. Should I remodel my kitchen, and replace all of the appliances? Rip up the floor, repaint the walls and fix the windows? Or, should I just fix/replace the toaster?
Answer: You would fix/replace the toaster because that's the only thing that's broken.
In other words, just have the girl stop using the conditioner, and don't give me this stuff about doing whatever she wants. She'd eight years old! Plain and simple. And for that matter, why do 8 year-olds have honor classes anyway? Aren't they...8?!?!
Report This
By: P.G on 6/07/2010 7:04PM
Its called the blacktop because its paved with tar, which is black you moron, it gets dark because the earth spins to where the sun is shining on the other side of the earth,woow are you really this retarded?
Conspiracy? What are you smoking? Oh an where do you expect them to put the nets?In the sandbox? or maybe the grass?
Report This
By: s on 6/07/2010 7:49PM
Jesus Christ you pathetic bunch of babies thats not racism, its called a slight misunderstanding. Yeah big deal the girl was pulled out of class; does really constitute the NAACP getting involved. No it doesn't, two things need to happen. First off the teacher must be suspeneded from pay for a week for not informing the parents. Second of all, the girl either stops using the olive oil shampoo or she accepts the fact she needs to switch classes due to the teachers allergy. Its as simple as that people.
Report This
By: Babygirl on 6/07/2010 8:22PM
I'm sure that this particuliar day was not the first time this student had used this product and came to school. To the person that made the comment: why is she in an honor class...she is 8 yrs. old. Evidently she is "smart" (if you could not figure that out, I'm sure you were never an honor student)that's why she is in an honor class.The teacher is prejudice and did not want her in her class so she used whatever "lie" she could to have her removed. The parents should should have been contacted and asked to use a different hair product on there daughter, if in fact the teacher is truly allergic. And yes, the parents are within their rights to retain a lawyer.
Report This
By: debnran on 6/07/2010 9:17PM
Hon, if you go to his blog, there is a comment written by the parent of someone else in the class that says that the parents were notified that the teacher was having problems due to construction being done on her house that had wacked out her allergies and asked them NOT to wear fragrances, and chemicals due to the allergy's severity.
He says he was never notified, but if she spent 1/2 the day in another room because of the problem, why did she wear the product back in? Seems to me that someone was either trying to provoke the teacher or thought that they didn't apply to her request.
The "Olive Oil" product also had several other chemicals in it, along with Peanut Oil - and we all know how bad a peanut allergy can be.
The parent went on to rant about a lot of other things in his blog, but he never really answered the question about why he let her wear the product in the next day AFTER her being moved out of the classroom for the teacher's health.
Would you rather let the little girl stay in the classroom, and the teacher be hospitalized? That woman has a right to work in a healthful environment, and she DID request that the children not wear or bring chemical or fragrances in class.
Also, how do you know that the principal wasn't the one to decide where to put her and not the teacher? All you are reading is the stuff the father wrote - and I think he's trying to make way too much out of this. Perhaps to get him more readers on his blog, or give him more publicity, or perhaps to drum up enough public outrage to justify him suing the teacher and district. I hope they countersue or succeed in getting his greedy attempt to get money out of the district thrown out on the basis that HE or his family caused the problem deliberately AFTER the teacher asked for the cooperation of the students.
He is making this into a racial issue. If the teacher was a racist, why did she wait to June to do something that was racist? If she was racist, she would have done it earlier in the year. This idiot wants to crucify the teacher who only wanted to work in peace and not be physically attacked by the fumes of this product.
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By: Lydia on 6/07/2010 9:28PM
WW: Really? How naive are you? Really??? You REALLY think that olive oil caused her allergies? Get real.
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