Bad haircut costs Oregon school district $10,000

WILSONVILLE, Ore. — Sally Miller says she might have been grateful if a school employee had given her son a good haircut.

Miller, however, threatened to sue when her son returned home with "next to nothing" on his head.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District recently agreed to pay Miller $10,000 because the employee cut the 8-year-old boy's hair without permission.

The boy, who is in the district's special education program at Cederoak Park Primary School, got the haircut Oct. 11. The case was settled last month, but its documents were not released until The Oregonian filed a public records request.

"First I was shocked," Miller told the newspaper. "Then I was embarrassed that I didn't have the money to get him a haircut. And then I was mad...I thought, 'What nerve. How invasive.' "

The single mother said she tried to keep her son's hair looking neat.

"There was one stinking day, and I'm not lying, that I didn't brush his hair," Miller said.

Superintendent Roger Woehl said Wednesday the employee was wrong to play barber.

"If someone needs a haircut, we'd be more than happy to go into our wallets to give them 20 bucks."

The district's insurance company paid the $10,000 settlement. Peter Mersereau, the district's attorney, said the district does not admit any liability for the hairdo.

"We settled this case primarily because of the inordinate cost of defending," he said.

Miller said the episode has strained her relationship with her son's teacher and instructional assistant. She said her son has received an excellent education at the school and hopes it continues.

"There's still a lot of animosity," Miller said. "I don't want any more hurt feelings."