School girl 'punished' for shaving her head for cancer

An Oxley mother claims her daughter is being discriminated against for participating in cancer fundraising event Shave for a Cure.

Tammy Neville wants Corinda State High school to review student guidelines after her daughter Brooke Beatty was disciplined for breaching its appearance policy.

The Leukaemia foundation encourages people to 'be brave and shave', and that's exactly what 15-year-old Brooke did, raising $600 for cancer research.

Corinda State High school administration punished Brooke for breaching the school’s appearance guidelines after she received the 'blade I' haircut on the weekend.

She was told that in order to be able to return to class, she would have to cover her head with a white scarf.

“There are no extreme haircuts allowed so it has examples like mohawks undercuts etc,” Brooke said.

“So I would never call shaving your head for a cure an extreme haircut.

“I don't have anyone in my life that has suffered from cancer. I just really like the cause and am really passionate about it,” she said.

“It is a very negative response to fundraising and it is even more so negative in that they are judging some one on their appearance and their looks,” Tammy said.

A carefully worded statement Education Queensland said:

“No students at Corinda State High School have been disciplined for participating in Shave for a Cure.

“In fact, staff and students are supported and encouraged to raise funds and awareness for charities such as this.

“This year we had a number of students shave their head for Shave for a Cure.

“Due to student privacy we can't comment on individual students.”

“If I'm in the office every break or if I am in class without a scarf on, it is going to grow back the exact same time, so it is not going to make a difference,” Brooke said.