Lehigh Acres Mom Says 13-Year-Old Son Pulled Out of Class for Hairstyle

A mother says her 13-year-old son was removed by an administrator from his classroom at Varsity Lakes Middle School because of his haircut.

School officials say Jovany Rivera’s hair was violating the dress code which prohibits “lines/designs in eyebrows or hair,” but his mom, Yasmin Rivera, disagrees.

“I felt embarrassed, like everyone was looking at me,” said Jovany Rivera.

Yasmin Rivera says her son gets good grades, usually stays out of trouble, and she couldn’t understand the trouble behind a line in his hair, which she calls a ‘part.’

“It’s not a design, I don’t believe it’s a distraction to anybody in the classroom.”

Rivera says when she first got a call from the school, she was told the issue had been fixed.

“She covered it up is what she said. She covered up his line and that she sent him back to class and I said, ‘you covered up his line?’ She goes, ‘yes, we do that sometimes for students so they can go back to class. Sometimes we spray something in their hair.’”

When her son came home, Rivera says “I just thought it looked like someone took a sharpie and tried to color it in.”

The 13-year-old returned to school the next day and when he got in trouble for his hair again, he was sent home.

“Every minute that we pull him out of class for a hairstyle issue is hurting him. I feel that there’s bigger issues that need to be addressed and this hairstyle is not one,” Rivera said. “I have friends that are hairdressers and they’ve all told me that it’s a gentlemen’s hair cut, and actually more kids should go to school looking a little bit more clean cut like him.”

On Friday, the Lee County School District said the dress code could change next year to accommodate hairstyles like Jovany’s, but it’s up to the parent, teacher organization to vote on changes.