Girl whose hair has been hacked off in class SIX times by bullies
A MOTHER is furious with a primary school after her disabled daughter had her hair cut by bullies for a sixth time.
Samantha Fleming’s daughter Melissa Booth, five, was born with microcephaly, a medical condition in which the circumference of the head is smaller than normal because the brain has not developed properly or has stopped growing.
Miss Fleming, 34, said Melissa started school in Reception class at Cherry Tree Hill Primary in Chaddesden, Derbyshire, last September, and has come home with her hair cut six times. She added: ‘It has happened again every few months. The first time it happened, the school spoke to the children about how dangerous scissors are.
‘Then, after it happened again in February this year, I spoke to the head teacher, who said he would keep a close eye out for it. But now it has happened yet again and I am not happy about it.
‘No matter how many times it has happened, nothing serious has been done about it.
‘Due to Melissa’s health issues, her hair doesn’t grow back very well.’ Miss Fleming added: ‘Melissa’s got a processing issue, which affects how she programs her brain.
‘Just six months ago she was struggling to put any sentences together and she is only just starting to string sentences now. She’s also got a lot of hearing problems, which affect her behaviour.
‘I think because of her condition she gets in with the wrong crowd as she doesn’t understand the difference between what is naughty and what is good.’
The mother of three says the school could resolve the problem by stopping the children from using scissors in classrooms.
The most recent attack on Melissa happened on Tuesday, and Miss Fleming is waiting to hear back from the school.
A spokesman for the school said: ‘Bullying can have a devastating effect on children and families, and at Cherry Tree Hill Primary School, we take any report of alleged bullying extremely seriously, and will always investigate.
‘The school can only take this so far, and requires the co-operation of parents and carers.
‘We have spoken to (Miss Fleming) about the allegations raised, but cannot give out details.’
‘She gets in with the wrong crowd’