Father of 7-Year-Old Biracial Girl Files $1 Million Lawsuit After Teacher Cut Her Hair Without Permission

When we send our children to school, as parents, we have certain expectations. We expect that the teachers will help our children learn. We hope that the teachers enjoy teaching and that they have our children’s best interests at heart.

There are many wonderful teachers in the world, but every once in awhile we wonder what a teacher could have been thinking. In this case, a teacher’s actions might cost the school district $1 million.

One day when Jimmy Hoffmeyer’s daughter, Jurnee Hoffmeyer, came home from school, he noticed that her beautiful flowing curls had been cut on one side. He asked her what happened, and she said that another student on the bus cut her hair.

The dad wasn’t upset at the student, but he made sure his daughter knew that other students should not be cutting her hair. He took her to a salon to get her hair cut. The stylist gave her an asymmetrical style which seemed to satisfy the dad and daughter.

Then the daughter went to school again, and once again she came home with more of her hair missing. This time, Jurnee said a teacher cut her hair. Jurnee was upset and embarrassed about the haircut. Her father was furious.

Jimmy is Black and White. His wife is White. That makes Jurnee bi-racial and partially Black. Jimmy believes that the haircut may have been racially motivated, but the school district claims that isn’t true.

Jimmy isn’t just complaining about the haircut; he’s doing something about it. He filed a lawsuit for $1 million. According to the lawsuit, the school district is responsible because the district “failed to properly train, monitor, direct, discipline, and supervise their employees, and knew or should have known that the employees would engage in the complained of behavior given the improper training, customs, procedures, and policies, and the lack of discipline that existed for employees.”

Watch the video below for more details about this lawsuit.

Jurnee currently goes to a different school.

How would you react if your child came home and told you that a teacher cut his or her hair without asking your permission first? Do you think a $1 million lawsuit is appropriate for this situation?