Student kicked out of Cape Coral school over dyed hair

A student at a Cape Coral elementary school paid the price for personality, getting kicked out after a new hairdo.

The third grader was removed and told he couldn’t come back until it was a natural color.

Sara Taylor, the boy’s mom, said her son is a typical young boy. He likes video games, soccer, and his class at Patriot Elementary.

“I’d say he’s pretty quiet. He’s not really sure about himself,” Taylor said.

But he is confident with his hairdo. He enjoys sporting vibrant colors and lively styles.

“He’s had it blue this year, green this year. And then he did have, like, a comb-over… that wasn’t an issue at all.”

His latest color, a radiant red, is causing some complications. The School District of Lee County’s policy prohibits any hairstyle that could be distracting.

“I didn’t think it was going to be an issue at all or we would have just waited until school was out,” Taylor said.

The school sent him home, only to return once the temporary dye is out. She eventually shaved his head, but some of the dye remains.

“I just thought this would be like an easy fix. We’ll just cut it,” Taylor said.

“Washed his hair seven times.”

She doesn’t plan to send him back to Patriot Elementary until next week so there’s more time for the color to fade.

In the meantime, she wants the school district to reconsider its policy.

“It’s not hurting the kids or the school or themselves, like, let them just be kids.”

Federal education laws prohibit the school district from commenting on specific information about a student. It’s up to the school’s principal to determine whether a hair color or style is distracting.