Mom says teacher gave her son unwanted ‘Dumb and Dumber’ haircut over dress code violation

A Texas woman says her son was humiliated after his teacher gave him an unwanted haircut resembling characters from the slapstick comedy “Dumb and Dumber.”

Amy Martin told NBC5 Texas that her 16-year-old son, Lane Kiesling, was pulled out of class at Hico ISD this week so a teacher could cut his hair, saying the length violated the school’s dress code.

“It was just very choppy like Jim Carrey on ‘Dumb and Dumber’ but rounder and a little bit shorter,” she said. “That’s exactly what it looked like.”

Kiesling said he was warned weeks earlier that he needed to get his hair cut, but said his family has been on a tight budget after moving.

{mosads}”Money’s really tight right now. We just moved and there’s a lot of expenses and a haircut’s just not even on my radar right now,” Martin said.

Kiesling, who said he was too embarrassed by the haircut to show his face on the news, said a teacher with a cosmetology license pulled him from his seventh period class and cut his bangs. Martin said the school principal later took her son to a barbershop to have the cut evened out.

Kiesling said he returned to class after the haircut, where his peers laughed and made fun of him.

“I know it’s just hair. It grows back,” Martin said. “But it’s not like she just gave him a haircut. She hurt his self-esteem. His self-image. That’s the problem.”

The school’s policy says that students whose appearance or dress violates the dress code will be “given an opportunity to correct the problem at school” or face an in-school suspension. Martin and Kiesling indicated that the teen was not given a choice for the latter option.

The school did not answer NBC’s questions about the haircut, but said in a statement that the school’s code of conduct is “part of our commitment to provide a safe and secure learning environment.”

“We encourage parents to be involved in decision-making processes, share how they feel about district operations and to share any concerns with their child’s principal,” the district said. “Ultimately, our priority is to educate and support the well-being of every student in Hico ISD.”