In a baffling turn of events, a mother received an incredibly inappropriate note from her daughter’s teacher regarding her child’s hair. The note suggested that other students were teasing the girl due to the coconut oil she used, prompting the mother to share it on social media, where it quickly gained traction.
Mia Thompson took to Facebook to express her outrage over the letter from her daughter Ava’s teacher. The message read:
Dear Mia,
I understand the necessity of coconut oil for Ava’s hair, but please use less. The other children have been saying her hair “smells.” If you must apply it daily, please do so lightly to avoid teasing.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely, Carol
First off, Carol might want to revisit her grammar skills because this note is lacking in both structure and clarity. But more importantly, she definitely needs a lesson in cultural sensitivity. Coconut oil is a common product used by many Black children and, believe it or not, it doesn’t have an offensive smell—just ask Mia or anyone else who uses it. In fact, I use it on my own hair and skin, and it leaves hardly any scent at all.
Mia’s response indicates she’s not going to back down. She firmly stated she would continue using coconut oil to maintain Ava’s beautiful, natural curls. In the comments of her post, she emphasized her frustration with the school’s approach, asking, “So the kids were bullying my child, and you send ME a letter? How does that make sense?” Well, it absolutely doesn’t.
Even if the oil did have an odor (which it doesn’t), it is not up to the child being bullied to change her behavior. The responsibility lies with the bullies. Instead of addressing the issue at its root, this teacher chose to blame Ava for being herself.
After meeting with school officials, it turned out that the only issue with Ava’s hair product was Carol’s personal opinion. Mia explained, “The kids never said anything; this was purely about the teacher’s feelings on Ava’s hair. If my child is being teased, you should teach those children! Even if the coconut oil did stink (which it doesn’t), you have no right to tell a Black mother how to care for her daughter’s hair.”
Mia’s anger is more than justified. As a result of Carol’s tone-deaf comments, Ava has been withdrawn from the school. This situation is infuriating, as a child is forced to change schools due to a teacher’s lack of understanding. Here’s hoping that sharing this story raises awareness and perhaps even enlightens Carol.
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To summarize, this incident highlights the urgent need for educators to embrace cultural sensitivity and address bullying appropriately, rather than shifting the blame to the victims.