Flint-area cancer survivor's long hair leads to school suspension

Burton— J.T. Gaskins says he was honored this month for perfect behavior on his high school's "Wall of Fame."

Since then, he's been doing school work at home after being suspended over the length of his hair.

Gaskins, a leukemia survivor who wants to donate his hair to cancer victims, has missed more than a week of classes at Madison Academy. The governing board of the charter school in Burton affirmed Gaskins' suspension Monday. The 17-year-old had previously been kept out of school for a few days, but was allowed to return to classes until the board made its ruling.

Gaskins says he won't be cutting his hair and hopes the school will consider amending its policy.

"I fought cancer my entire life. I'm going to keep fighting this," he said. "I want to give back. I'm not going to not give back just because my school says no."

Gaskins' mother, Christa Plante, says the school should be more flexible.

This week, she launched a petition on change.org asking the school to amend its hair policy for boys, allowing them to grow it to donate for charity.

The online petition, addressed to the academy and its school board, asks the school to add a "donation policy" that would allow students to sign a promissory note with the school, do research on the cause, keep hair clean and well-maintained, and at the required length for donation, the children cut and donate the hair, giving the school a copy of donation certificate.

The school allows girls to grow and donate hair, but boys cannot, the petition says.

Gaskins has been kicked out of school until he agrees to cut his hair.

"We are simply asking for a compromise and to allow not only my son, but anyone wanting to donate to be allowed to do so, to allow the boys the same right and freedoms as the girl students," Plante wrote.

Madison Academy referred calls to Will Kneer, executive director of the Romine Group in Utica, which manages the school. He said the school board considered the issue Monday but decided to keep the policy for now.

Gaskins' hair isn't very long yet. Kneer said he proposed Gaskins use styling gel, put the hair in cornrows or simply comb it to comply with rules.

"I need his hair out of his eyes and off the collar," Kneer told the Associated Press on Friday. "I really want this boy to be back in school. I feel like combing his hair wouldn't be a big concession. ... He doesn't have hair down the middle of his back. It's an inch over his collar."

Kneer said the school has been sending work to Gaskins' home while he's away from classes.

The Student Handbook posted on the district's website, requires boys hair to be "clean, neat, free of unnatural or distracting colors, off the collar, off the ears and out of the eyes."

The policy also bars spiked hair, mohawks, pony tails or pigtails and says braids must not touch the collar or must be pinned or braided above the collar.