Parents upset when school gives Florida boy a haircut

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The parents of a Florida middle school student said a school counselor shaved their son's head to get rid of his Miami Heat-inspired haircut.

The family of Danny Valdes, 11, said stepfather Arnaldo Fernandez, owner of Cutting Edge Barbershop, gave Danny a haircut in honor of attending his first Miami Heat game at the end of December and the style included the team's logo, area code and skyline being cut into his hair, WZVN-TV, Naples, reported Monday.

However, teachers at Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres dubbed the hairstyle to be a distraction and gang related when he returned from winter break Wednesday and he was sent to in-school suspension.

Arnaldo said the school's assistant principal called him about the issue.

"I told her when he gets home from school I'll cut his hair and I'll make it toward their regulations," Arnaldo said.

However, a school counselor performed the haircut with a pair of clippers, saying Arnaldo had given permission.

"It's frustrating because to me it seems like they think they got the power to do whatever they want," Arnaldo said.

Arnaldo and Stephanie Fernandez, the boy's mother, said they were upset by the school's actions.

"I was just really upset because I didn't think their proper protocol was to cut his hair," she said.

School officials said the counselor has been advised not to perform any more haircuts.

Fernandez said she is moving Danny to a different school.