A mom decided she'll move her 7-year-old boy to a new school after a teacher cut her son's hair without consent. Miriam Brandon was upset and believed the teacher crossed the line.
Brandon was aware the teacher had an issue with her son Dominic's shoulder-length hair. Prior to what happened, the mom got calls from the teacher for weeks because Dominic was chewing his hair. The mom brushed off the calls, however, because they weren't specifically about her son's school needs.
Brandon did ask her son if he wanted a haircut but the boy refused. He said he intended to let his hair "touch the ground," according to CBC. It should be noted that Dominic has autism and the concerned teacher was a special needs educator in Ottawa's Regina Public School.
The mom took Dominic's declaration about his hair as an important thing for him. "I didn't think it's hurting anyone for him to grow his hair out," Brandon said. "So when a teacher kept persisting that I cut his hair, I was like, 'No, I don't need to get his hair cut. That's OK.'"
Brandon, who also goes by Miriam Richard, was shocked when her son came home with a jagged haircut. That's when she decided to call the principal to report the teacher.
"I feel like my son's rights have been taken from him," she said, according to The Star. The mother also posted a message on Facebook, citing Dominic calmed his anxieties by chewing on his hair.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board removed the teacher from her classes and she's currently on home assignment while a full investigation is underway. The board also apologized to Brandon's family, Cleveland 19 reported.
What made matters worse, however, was other teachers saw her son getting a haircut and they didn't stop their co-worker. Losing trust, Brandon said she will move Dominic to a different school.
