A Massachusetts mother claims staff at a group home for children ‘assaulted’ her seven-year-old daughter this week by shaving her head without her consent.
According to Denise Robinson, her daughter Tru had long hair before a clinician at Little Heroes Group Home in Dracut took her to a salon where she was given a buzz cut.
A photo of Tru taken after her trip to the salon shows the seven-year-old with her head shorn, holding a flower in her hand.
Unsanctioned haircut: Denise Robinson’s daughter, Tru, is pictured on the left with her long curly hair intact. This week, a staffer at her group home had her head shaved (right)
Ms Robinson (right) says no one from her child’s residential program had called her to get her permission before taking the 7-year-old to a salon
The girl’s mother says staff at the residential program where her daughter has been staying told her the child’s hair had to be cut because of a hygiene issue, but Robinson rejects that reasoning.
’There was no hygenical reason to shave my child’s head. No lice, no bed bugs, no Rasta locks,’ Robinson said.
According to Robinson’s attorney, Richard Kendall, a volunteer at the hair salon told Tru, who is biracial, that by shaving her head, her hair would grow back straight.
‘I find that appalling,’ the lawyer told CBS Boston.
DailyMail.com on Friday contacted Kendall asking for a comment on this case and was awaiting a response.
According to its website, Little Heroes is a co-ed intensive group home for boys and girls ages five to 11 who have social, emotional, behavioral or mental health problems.
It is operated by the Justice Resource Institute – a not-for-profit organization that provides outpatient specialty mental health services to disadvantaged communities.
According to Robinson’s attorney a volunteer at the hair salon told Tru, who is biracial, that by shaving her head, her hair would grow back straight
Robinson enrolled her daughter in the program because she reportedly has severe emotional challenges, and the girl has been splitting her time between the group home in Dracut and her family home.
Robinson says when she saw her seven-year-old this week, she was shocked to find her long, curly hair gone.
She says no one called her to ask her permission to give Tru a haircut, and she got no notice after the fact.
‘I am very upset. And I’m not going to stop being upset because I feel like my child was assaulted and violated,’ she told the station NECN.
The program has released a statement to local news outlets explaining that ‘decisions regarding grooming are based on a variety of factors, including hygiene.’
Staff at the residential program where Tru has been staying allegedly told her mother the child’s hair was cut because of a hygiene issue. Robinson says there was nothing wrong with her hair (pictured left and right before the haircut)
Officials at Little Heroes declined to go into the specifics of this case, citing state and federal privacy laws, only saying that ‘a review of the circumstances is underway to determine what occurred and, if necessary, appropriate action will be taken.’
Robinson is planning to sue the program and wants her daughter moved out of the facility, reported WCVB.