Va. School Board Sued Over Boy's In-Class Haircut

Va. School Board Sued Over Boy's In-Class Haircut

Last Edited: Thursday, 27 Nov 2008, 7:40 PM EST

Created: Thursday, 27 Nov 2008, 7:40 PM EST

ROANOKE, Va. -- The family of an 11-year-old middle school student is suing the Roanoke County School Board, claiming the boy was given an unwanted haircut by his teacher in class. Harvey Lutins, the lawyer representing Alexander Allen Brown, says the teacher had complained earlier about the student's prominent bangs. Lutins says the teacher, who isn't named in the complaint, later "butchered" Brown's hair in front of his class at Hidden Valley Middle School. Lutins calls the haircut an invasion of privacy and an affront to the student's rights. The lawsuit seeks $1,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages. Roanoke County Schools Superintendent Lorraine Lange declined to comment on the complaint, saying it's a personnel matter.