Indiana mom says school cut autistic child’s hair without permission

An Indiana mom is speaking out after a school staff member allegedly cut her autistic son’s hair without her permission.

“My baby has beautiful curly hair,” Nikki Battle told The Associated Press. “Now there are patches on his head. They nicked the side of his face.”

Battle’s son, Jonathan Battle-Hayum, is a senior at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis. Battle said a staff member cut her son’s hair earlier this week, telling him he would make him look “fresh” with a new haircut and clothing from the school’s lost and found.

“I’m trusting you to take care of my kid, not chop off his hair,” Battle said. “Now I have to rebuild from ground zero, to give him some type of confidence. He doesn’t want to leave the house.”

She also told the Indianapolis Star: “We’re Hebrew Israelite. You’re not supposed to cut his hair.”

When contacted by WTHR-TV, the Lawrence Township school district said it was “unaware of allegations around a violation of religious beliefs.”

“It is not uncommon for school personnel to go above and beyond to meet the needs of students outside of the classroom,” the district said in a statement to The Hill. “The staff member in question acted with the best of intentions to support the student.”

–Updated at 2:23 p.m.