AITA for getting my teacher suspended because of a hair related issue?

Venus Leo Hours
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In a bustling high school hallway, a vibrant teen struts in with freshly styled dip-dyed braid extensions, mirroring the trendy blonde-tipped looks of her classmates. Her confidence fizzles when teachers pull her aside, citing a dress code violation. Why her, when others sport the same style without issue? Frustration bubbles as she faces isolation and a tarnished record, pushing her to question the fairness of it all.

This clash over hair spirals into a bigger drama when a teacher’s harsh words cross a line, prompting her to speak up. Her bold move lands the teacher in hot water, but now she wonders: did she go too far? Reddit’s buzzing with opinions, pulling readers into a tale as tangled as a bad hair day.

‘AITA for getting my teacher suspended because of a hair related issue?’

This happened 2 years ago but I still think about it everyday, because I feel I may have been in the wrong. In my school, we have a dress code, your hair cannot be dyed a bright colour, such as blue or pink. Many white girls in my school had their hair dip dyed,

the top half of their hair was brown and the bottom was blonde, (i mentioned race because it’s important in this case). I (a black girl) loved the look and got dip dyed braid extensions on my hair. My school has never had a problem with girls wearing braid extensions, but when I walked into school the day I dip dyed the extensions, they were on my case.

It was the exact same colour as the white girls’ hair, but they took me out of my first lesson and told me if I don’t remove them, I won’t be allowed in classes, and would have to learn in an isolated room. I refused to take out my hair as my mum spent £70 on my hair.

I was in isolation for 2 weeks. Working in an isolated room was very difficult as the teacher had to send your work to your email and you couldn’t get any help from said teacher as they weren’t physically there. After the isolation was up, they put me on behavioural report.

I had to stay behind class for an extra half hour to have a private talk with my teacher about my ‘behaviour’ but during this talk he said and I quote, “If they aren’t out before Monday i’ll cut them off myself.” I hated him after that. I struggled to show him respect so I resented him.

I wouldn’t respond to him in lessons, I couldn’t even look him in the eyes. Of course I got my mum involved, i’m not gonna get into that though but he told her “I’m sorry you feel that way”, and that’s not an apology at all. I feel like it was a racial attack.

My school had more white people than black, around an 80/20 ratio. Soon, other people caught on to my behaviour towards him and when I told them why I was acting this way they encouraged me to go to the headteacher. I told her about it and 2 months later he was suspended for 2 weeks.

I should also add, my behavioural report was put on my permanent school record, many schools asked me about it during interviews and it wasn’t a good look.. So the question is, AITA for getting him suspended? Or was I overreacting?

Navigating school dress codes can feel like tiptoeing through a minefield. This student’s ordeal highlights the emotional toll of inconsistent rule enforcement. Dr. Lisa Damour, a psychologist specializing in adolescent behavior, notes, “When rules are applied unevenly, it erodes trust and fuels resentment among students”. Her insight frames why this teen felt targeted.

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The conflict here stems from a policy applied selectively. The student saw classmates with similar hairstyles go unpunished, yet she faced isolation. The teacher’s stern warning, though not detailed, escalated tensions, pushing her to resent authority. Both sides had stakes—her need for fairness, the teacher’s push for compliance—but poor communication fueled the fire.

This saga reflects broader issues with dress codes. A 2019 report found 60% of U.S. students feel school policies unfairly target specific groups, impacting self-esteem. Dr. Damour’s advice applies: clear, consistent rules build trust. The student’s report to the headteacher was a stand for equity, not rebellion.

For solutions, experts suggest open dialogue. Schools could host forums to clarify policies, while students might petition for rule reviews.

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These are the responses from Reddit users:

Reddit lit up with fiery takes, served with a dash of wit. Here’s what the community chimed in:

b0nez07 − NTA. You're in the right. Your school and teachers were in the wrong. Sorry you had to experience that.. Hope you're doing wonderful looks with your hair

[Reddit User] − Definitely NTA. Your teacher put you under an unfair standard based on a dress code that isn't being applied to everyone, according to what you wrote. You had to endure a punishment for it and you spoke up, you did the right thing. It sucks that the incident report shows on your permanent record though.

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sillyquidnunc − NTA in every conceivable way, you're great and did the right thing. Thr teacher's behavior is everything from microaggressive to flat out aggressive, it was clearly a r**ist attack on you in which they used your hair as their limp excuse.

dca_user − NTA. Can you and your mom get it removed from your record?

SnooPineapples34590 − NTA, your teacher was a huge AH for the way he treated you and your school was r**ist for suspending you when white girls were permitted to go to class wearing their hair the same way that you had yours.

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QueenBlackHeart1 − NTA, it was definitely a racial thing. As a black woman who was in school not that long ago I can't tell you how many times I've seen white or Mexican girls getting away with a lot of s**t but when us black girls did it it's a problem.. Do not feel bad about getting that r**ist teacher suspended he deserve it.

dragonpanda5514 − NTA at all.. If they aren’t out before Monday i’ll cut them off myself. This has me raging. You CANNOT threaten a student like this. Frankly your teacher should have been fired. Cutting off someone's hair without their consent is considered a**ault, and your teacher essentially threatened to a**ault you.

Regardless of whether he intended to do it or just tried to scare you, that is wildly unacceptable in any situation, but in a teacher-student dynamic it's utterly horrific. Their job includes safe guarding you, not intimidating you with threats.

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I'm sorry your school has failed you in keeping this teacher around. You definitely didn't overreact, your school was r**ist (you didn't deserve to be in isolation) and this teacher is a horrible man who should not be teaching if he's making comments like that.

ImTheMommaG − NTA. You didn’t actually do the suspending, his higher authority looked at your complaint, probably interviewed him about it and decided you had a valid issue. To threaten to cut them out himself is completely inappropriate in this day and age.

EuphoricRealist − NTA your teacher's biased behavior is unacceptable. He had no problem putting it on your record, he needs to have the same consequences. He can't continue to teach this way.

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papayasriracha − NTA and I think he honestly should have been fired. That is such a double standard and I as a white girl am so sorry that you were attacked for wearing your hair that way (which I’m sure was gorgeous!). I find it really odd that the school never removes that since clearly it was you standing up to racism, but I hope future schools will listen to what actually happened.

These Reddit gems are spicy, but do they nail the real-world fix? Or are they just cheering from the sidelines?

This teen’s hair drama weaves a tale of fairness, courage, and clashing rules. Her stand shook things up, but it also sparks a question: where’s the line between standing up and stirring trouble? Have you ever fought a school rule that felt unfair? What would you do in her shoes? Drop your stories below—let’s untangle this mess together!

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