Academy chimes in on hair flap

J.T. Gaskins Photo provided BURTON — The charter school that suspended a student for three days over the length of his hair has released an official statement on the matter.

Madison Academy officials are claiming high school senior and cancer survivor J.T. Gaskins was presented with options before the school doled out its punishment. Gaskins is attempting to grow his hair out to at least 10 inches in length to donate it to cancer support organization Locks of Love.

“Every summer, the faculty, administration and parents at Madison Academy come together to craft and review policies that will provide guidance, structure and direction for our students. Part of our dress code stipulates that male students must keep their hair clean and neat, which includes keeping it off the collar. Every student has signed a pledge agreeing to follow this policy,” the school stated in its press release.

The school says that administrators stood by the policy by asking Gaskins to fix his hair, even offering that he cornrow it, but said that Gaskins and his mother refused.

“We want J.T. back in school, so we offered him and his mother several solutions, including the option that he can continue to grow his hair out if he simply styles it differently so that it’s out of his eyes and ears and off his collar. So the reports that we’re demanding he cut his hair are simply not true. To date, he and his mother have not agreed to any of these options.”

In the statement, Madison Academy administrators made sure to note that Locks of Love is “a wonderful organization.”

“This spirit of selflessness and willingness to help others is something we instill in our students, and we applaud his generosity and intentions,” the school’s statement said of Gaskins.

Meanwhile, the online petition that Gaskins’ mother Christa Plante started in support of her son was nearing 50,000 signatures last week.

Last week, Plante said she was “encouraged” and “overwhelmed” at the hundreds of positive reactions that her family has received.

Online response to the issue has been largely mixed, with some individuals siding with the charter school policy and others defending Gaskins’ cause.

“I’m not going to not give back just because my school says no,” Gaskins tsaid, adding that self-confidence is really what’s needed to overcome cancer.