GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — A 9-year-old girl was kept out of class Monday, because of her support for a friend who is fighting cancer. Tuesday night, the board of the charter school reversed its decision.
Kamryn Renfrom decided to have a big makeover — shaving off all of her hair in solidarity with a friend who was starting chemotherapy to treat cancer.
“I was really excited I would have somebody to support me and I wouldn’t be alone with people always laughing at me. I would at least have somebody to go through it all,” says Delaney Clements, who just began chemotherapy.
But Kamryn’s school, Caprock Academy, has a policy against shaved heads for girls. The school told her she couldn’t come back to class until she got a wig or her natural hair grew back because her shaved head violates the dress code.
Kamryn’s mother emailed the school explaining why she got the extreme haircut, but administrators at first said they couldn’t make exceptions.
The board of the charter school voted 3-1 Tuesday night to allow Kamryn back to school without wearing a wig. The members were making an exception to the rule based on “extraordinary circumstances.”
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports the board member who voted no said he was worried it would set a precedent for policy waivers.
Since this story started getting worldwide media attention the school had already changed its tune.
FOX31 Denver learned late Monday afternoon that officials planned to hold the executive session Tuesday to review the policy. In addition, Kamryn had already been invited back to school Tuesday.
“She got up, got ready, and held her head high as she walked into her classroom this morning,” Kamryn’s mom, Jamie Renfro wrote on her Facebook page. “To say her dad and I are proud, is a total understatement.”