Savannah Keesee: Missouri High School Student Suspended For Dying Her Hair An ‘Unnatural’ Color

Missouri teen Savannah Keesee should have been at school this week, but instead has been staying at home since Tuesday, all because she dyed her hair a color that the school principal doesn’t like.

The West County High School junior showed up Tuesday to school after several snow days. Her mom, Sheri Keesee, says via WXMI (Grand Rapids) that she and Savannah used the time off from school for some mom and daughter time, and dyed Savannah’s hair.

“She just wanted it a little bit different. We had a bunch of snow days, and did some girl stuff and dyed her hair.”

The Irondale (about 75 miles southeast of Saint Louis) teen says that her new hair color got her sent to the principal’s office.

“He goes ‘Your hair is really bright.’ I said, ok, he goes, ‘You need to call your mom and have her come pick you up,'” Savannah recalled. “.’ I tried to go back today and he said I couldn’t stay because my hair was still the same color.”

According to KTVI (Saint Louis), the school handbook prohibits students from dying their hair “unnatural” colors.

“Non-natural hair colors will not be permitted. For example, green, purple, blue, etc.”

Sheri insists that her daughter’s new hair color is a perfectly natural hair color – auburn.

“I dyed it auburn, which is what was on the box. And auburn to me is natural, just like strawberry blonde or blonde, or black or brown.”

School dress codes, while arguably well-intentioned, have often become the subject of consternation for students and their parents, often with stories of schoolchildren getting into trouble at school for seemingly ridiculous violations making the news. Late last year, according to this Inquisitr report, a New York boy had his head shaved in front of his entire school because his “faux hawk” violated the school’s dress code.

As for Savannah and her new hair, her principal, Stacy Stevens, refuses to budge.

“We try to work with the students to be fair. We don’t want them out of school, we don’t typically have issues with this policy. I think our students and parents are accepting of it. It’s been in place a long time, and I think it’s a policy that works.”

Savannah’s mom insists that the school has bigger things to worry about than girls’ hair color.

“Instead of maybe picking up on the bullying, and kids who are actually causing trouble, its hair color.”

Savannah won’t be allowed to return to school until her new dye wears off – a process that could take weeks – or until she returns her hair to her “natural” color.

[Image courtesy of: Buzzfeed]