School tells girl, 12, who cut hair for charity in memory of sister new style is ‘too extreme’ and she must grow it back
Brave Katelyn cut her hair off in memory of her tragic sister Keira - but says her school have now made her feel really insecure and she's been taunted by cruel bullies
A GIRL who cut her hair to donate to charity in memory of her sister has been told her hair is 'too extreme' by her school - and they have demanded she grow it back.
Katelyn Ball, 12, bravely cut her hair off for the Little Princess Trust in memory of her sister Keira who tragically died last year, but says the school have made her insecure over the style and cruel bullies have taunted her.
Mum Loanna Ball told The Sun Online that prior to the school holidays, Katelyn told the school she was having her hair cut off for the the Little Princess Trust.
"The school were fully aware and they didn't ask to what length - in fact some of the teachers actually sponsored her for doing this," she said.
In a touching tribute to sister Keira, she had her hair cut at the North Devon Show a year on from the day her sister died and asked Max Johnson - who received Keira's heart - to cut her hair.
Brave Katelyn raised £1,500 for the InspiredByKeira charity which was set up for her sister as well as donating her hair to the Princess Trust - but when she went back to school at South Molton College in Devon, it was "a nightmare" says mum Loanna.
She said: "She went back on school on Wednesday feeling quite proud of herself, but she sent me a message saying: 'The teachers have told me I need to sort my hair out.'
"They knew why she had had her hair cut but she had no compliment to say well done, with everything you've been through - there was none of that.
"I went in at the end of the day to see her Year Head and she said, 'I understand your reasoning behind this, but the school have rules'. Katelyn was so confident with her haircut. Now she feels completely the opposite. I fully support Katelyn, and her hair doesn't affect her education."
Katelyn said: "I'm upset because I feel very insecure now and I'm worried about what other people think. My friends have said well done, and that I've done a good thing."
The school have said Katelyn's haircut is "extreme" and they demanded she grow her hair out over the next term.
But mum Loanna says: "This is not an extreme hairstyle, in my opinion and others I've spoken to. Katelyn's prepared to grow out her hair but that's going to take some time.
"For now, she'll keep it short. It's a grade 3 cut, it's not a grade 1, which is against school rules."
But after cruel bullies taunted Katelyn in the hallways the following day over her hairstyle, mum Loanna says they're now looking at homeschooling.
She said: "The children had been nice to her the day before, and I think because the school had such a negative response to Katelyn's hairstyle they were going: 'Oh look at her, is it a boy, is it a girl, what is it."
"This has become really negative and had a massive impact on her. I truly believe have school have put such a negative thing on it and come down on her and that's why she doesn't want to return to school and why she's been bullied.
"Now I may have to make that decision to home-educate my children so they can feel that they can be who they want to be.
"Katelyn says it's all her fault, why did I do this. She wishes Keira was here so she could talk to her."
She continued: "We're still grieving and dealing with things everyday, the kids have been through enough upset and heartache without added things, this should have been a positive not a negative."
In a statement to The Sun Online, a spokesman for South Molton Community College said: "A reasonable compromise was suggested to parents.
"The suggestion made was that no sanctions would be taken, but we would expect her to grow out her hair over the next term, as it naturally would.
"This would then conform to school policy. The school is always supportive of any charity work that our students undertake.";
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