Ardenne High is pushing back against allegations by a mother that her son had been removed from classes at the institution on Tuesday because his hairstyle was deemed inappropriate for school.

Michelle Scott, mother of a 16-year-old fifth-form student at the St Andrew-based institution, told Observer Online that the school’s dean of discipline informed her in the morning that her son had been removed from classes, placed at the front of the school, and would not be allowed to return until he received a haircut.

“The dean of discipline called me to state that my son has been removed,” Scott said. “He said your son was taken out of classes and placed at the front of the school until he gets a haircut.

“I said, ‘at the front of the school? You’re telling me that you took him, a fifth-form student, out of classes to go and get a haircut?’” she recounted. “He said ‘yes, and if he does not go and get a haircut, he will not be returning to class. So he’s sitting at the gate right now.’”

The disgruntled mother claimed that it was not the first time her son had been removed from classes because of his hair, alleging that a similar incident occurred when he was in Grade 9.

“They come and hold the hair to see, while the little white boys are walking around with hair long down in their faces and the little Indian boys, and they’re now telling the [black] boys that they need to get it almost bald,” she said.

Scott maintained that her son has been a model student, punctual and has received no detentions during his five years at the institution.

“One’s constitutional right should not be violated. Him no bleach. Him no bad boy. This is a model student,” Scott added.

Scott told our news team later on Tuesday that her son was eventually allowed back in classes, after she brought the matter to the attention of the media. She said she will be making a formal complaint to the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, Ardenne High Acting Principal Jacqueline Pinto denied that the institution removed the boy from classes.

“If students have an infraction, the student handbook is there. Based on the code of regulation, the students and parents are to abide by the rules of the handbook. However, we have not kept any student out of class. All our students are students are in class,” Pinto told the Observer.

She however suggested that the dean of discipline intervened in the matter and spoke to the student about the alleged infraction.

“We would have the dean of discipline, as would be his rightful role within the school, to assist in maintaining order and discipline,” Pinto said. “So he would, in his right, have the responsibility to interfere and speak to any student who may be out of line, according to the student and parent handbook that all students and parents would sign that we would obey.”

Pinto added that students are spoken to if there is a grooming infraction and are given the opportunity to address any violation.

“The grooming regulation, per our student and parent handbook, that all parties would have signed with the rules. We give our students the opportunity to address the grooming violation if there are any. Because we do understand that there may be issues of affordability and so on. So we do not deny our students their education, which they are entitled to,” Pinto added.

Acting Chief Education Officer Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle said the Ministry of Education has taken note of the report of the student being removed from classes, will review the circumstances and investigate the matter further to determine the facts.

“We also take this opportunity to remind all school administrators that, while schools are expected to uphold their rules and standards in accordance with the law and their approved handbooks, no child should be locked out of school or denied access to instruction,” Gayle told Observer Online. “We also encourage students and parents to observe the rules of their school.”

She said that at all times, the safety, welfare, and continued learning of students must remain paramount, adding that the ministry will continue to engage schools to ensure that any disciplinary or administrative action is carried out in a manner that is lawful and in the best interest of the child.