Dad: Orange school won’t punish blue-haired girl

An Orange County middle school has agreed not to discipline a 12-year-old who dyed her hair blue, her father said Friday.

Matt Shaffer said administrators at Discovery Middle School told his daughter, Olivia, earlier in the week she’d be suspended if she didn’t dye her hair back to its natural color. He said administrators at the school in the Waterford Lakes area said they deemed the bright blue color distracting.

Olivia, a seventh-grader, dyed her hair last weekend partly to prepare for her role as an eel in a school production of “The Little Mermaid” in May.

Discovery Middle administrators did not return a message Friday seeking comment. The district’s dress code doesn’t address hair color, but gives basic guidelines and states that clothing and grooming should not “disrupt the educational activities and processes of the school.”

The policy also gives adminis- trators leeway to enforce stricter policies on their campuses, saying the “schools are encouraged to extend their own standards to meet the uniqueness of their school community.”

Shaffer said his family researched the district’s dress policies before allowing Olivia to dye her hair and gave her the green light because it seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem. He said he met with school administrators Friday who said they’ll allow Olivia to grow out her hair without dyeing it back to her natural color but she can’t dye it blue again unless the rules change.

“In my personal opinion, they did work with us,” Shaffer said.

While Shaffer said he disagreed with the administrators’ stance on Olivia’s hair, he said he’s generally been happy with the school. “She was getting into character,” Shaffer said, adding that she’s wanted to try blue hair for a while.

Olivia is a straight-A student who participates in the school’s drama program and plays softball, Shaffer said.