A mother has blasted a school after it threatened to ‘segregate’ her 15-year-old daughter from her classmates after she dyed her hair purple.
Straight A pupil Elizabeth McMasters, 15, was told off at Nunnery Wood High School, in Worcester, in what her mother believes is a campaign against her.
Hazel Browning described her daughter’s school as acting like ‘Nazis’ for threatening to segregate her over her hair colour.
But the school insists it is following its own clear guidelines on the matter.
Elizabeth McMasters (left, with a bandana on her head to hide her purple hair), 15, was segregated from her classmates at Nunnery Wood High School, in Worcester, in what her mother believes is a campaign against her
Ms Browning claims the campaign against her daughter escalated after she was put into isolation for piercing her ears last month.
The mother-of-seven told the Worcester News: ‘I did her hair. She’s gone purple. It’s a permanent colour which means it has to grow out or be recoloured.
‘The school rang me up (on Thursday). They said they are going to segregate Elizabeth because that’s not part of the uniform.
‘They are trying to pick up on their policies and their uniforms. But they can’t be Nazis about this.’
To hide her purple her, Elizabeth turned up to school on Monday wearing a bandana.
Ms Browning said: ‘She was in isolation on Thursday and I didn’t send her in on Friday because I had to skin test to dye it back to brown which takes 48 hours.
‘I sent her in on Monday with a headscarf and she had to go into isolation for that.
‘She had an allergic reaction the hair dye which meant we couldn’t do it.
‘I had to buy another version and I didn’t do a skin test for that one because she had to go to school. I dyed her hair last night and it’s still not brown, it’s a little bit more blacky-purple.
Hazel Browning described her daughter’s school as acting like ‘Nazis’ for putting her in isolation over he hair colour
‘It wasn’t an aubergine colour to be fair. I’ve done training with hairdressing.
‘Because of intensity of colour you need to go another colour that does eat it up.
‘I’ve gone for another make which is supposed to be less active which is a dark brown and its gone over the top but it’s still purple, just a darker purple.
‘It’s not blue, it’s not green, it’s not a Mohican or shaved or rainbow colour or anything like that, it’s just a hint of purple.
‘They want me to dye it again, she’s just over 15, she’s waited this long, I said wait until you’re older.
‘She waited this long to have her ears pierced – I had to take her to have retainers put in.
‘I just feel they can’t control or be in control of my daughter, she’s my daughter – it’s me that’s mum.
‘She wanted to have her hair dyed because she didn’t want to look like a boy. She wanted to be a little bit feminine.
‘This is affecting her school work – she’s a model student, she goes to school every day, learns, no problem, she’s no problem for me as a daughter.
Elizabeth McMasters has been banned from the classroom because she dyed her hair purple
‘They seem to be picking on Elizabeth – what’s more important, her education or a hint of purple?’
Ms Browning said her daughter had been wearing the same shoes since year seven because she suffers from blisters.
She said it is difficult to find footwear for Elizabeth because her feet are easily damaged due to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).
The school’s uniform police states: ‘Hair should be worn in a style which is smart, safe and suitable for life at school (extremes of fashion or colour are NOT acceptable.)
‘No jewellery of any description is to be worn.’
Stephen Powell, head teacher of Nunnery Wood High School, said: ‘The uniform policy is there to allow all students from all backgrounds to look and feel the same and all students are treated absolutely equally within that policy. It’s the point of the policy.’