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A 15-year-old cancer survivor was disciplined for wearing a grey beanie to school.
Chloe Terpenning last week spent several days in her principal’s office at West Burlington High School in Burlington, Iowa for violating her school’s no-hats policy, local newspaper The Hawkeye reports.
The freshman student was wearing a grey, knit beanie made especially for cancer patients. Currently in remission after finishing her chemotherapy treatments for stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March, she said the beanie made her feel more comfortable about her hair loss.
Terpenning didn’t make it past the front doors of the school before Principal Bruce Snodgrass sent her to his office.
“In the office, it is a very small room and I don’t get any lessons in there. I just get the assignments and am expected to have them done the next day. And the door’s wide open,” said Terpenning. “So anyone who walks by can see me sitting in there.”
She said that the school told her she could wear a bandana or a kerchief until Christmas break instead of the beanie, but that when she returns, she can wear a wig or nothing at all.
“Or else I have to sit in the office again until I’m ready,” Terpenning said.
The school’s dress code policy states that “hats, caps, HOODS (sic), sunglasses, hairnets, head scarves, headbands (other than those worn by females to hold back hair) and other headgear” are barred from being worn on campus.
After being punished for wearing the beanie, Terpenning decided to start a petition to change the school’s dress code policy to allow exceptions for current or future students with cancer.
"On 12/6/17 I wore a beanie, only to get sent to the office before getting the chance to go to class. 12/7/17 they came up with a 'equal agreement' claiming that after Christmas break I cannot wear any type of head gear or else I will have to sit in the office again," the online petition reads.
"I want to put an end to this policy for myself and any future cancer patients. Please sign my petition to ask West Burlington High School to allow cancer patients to wear hats."
The Hawkeye reports, "As of Sunday, Terpenning had obtained 222 signatures on a hard copy petition and another 103 signatures through an online petition on thepetitionsite.com."
As of Wednesday, the online petition had gained 13,956 supporters out of its goal of 14,000.
The petition seems to have been successful.
“When asked Monday about exceptions to the policy, Superintendent David Schmitt said the district will leave it open-ended so each student can be considered on a case-by-case basis and that Terpenning can wear a hat if she feels more comfortable doing so,” the local newspaper writes.
The superintendent plans to meet with Terpenning and her mother Candice Osslund on Friday to discuss the high school’s dress code policy.
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