"He has enough on his plate": Kerry teenager with Spina Bifida barred from school for having blue hair
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"He has enough on his plate": Kerry teenager with Spina Bifida barred from school for having blue hair

A TEENAGER who suffers from Spina Bifida was suspended from school on his first day back because he had dyed his hair blue.

15-year-old Steven Daley, from Causeway, County Kerry, was told to leave the school grounds just 30 minutes into his first day as a 5th-year in Causeway Comprehensive.

The school claims that bright, unnaturally coloured hair is forbidden for any student.

However, speaking to local newspaper Kerry's Eye, Steven's father Sean Harrington claimed the decision to send him home was sexist, because "I've seen girls at the school with pink and purple hair."

Earlier this year, teenager Steven had his leg amputated due to complications stemming from his Spina Bifida, and as his father puts it:

"He has had some issues at the school in the past but at the end of the day he has had enough on his plate."

When the Kerry Eye media outlet posted a glimpse of the news to their Twitter feed, most younger commenters agreed with Steven and his father that the boy should be allowed to dye his hair whichever colour he wants.

It's 2019 after all, and most businesses now have no problem hiring people with bright hair or tattoos, leading many people to argue that school rules on hair colour are archaic.

Many more people skipped over the news story entirely, instead focusing on the shirt Steven's father Sean Harrington was wearing-- a familiar pattern for many it seems.

 

Some pointed out that the school's decision to ban him could have something to do with the All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Dublin this weekend-- as Dublin's team colours are all-blue, perhaps Steven's hair had upset a superstitious teacher.

Whatever the reason, the school has said that the barring is 'no big deal', and as soon as Steven strips his hair of the dye he can continue his education.