Teacher Sends Letter Home With Little Girl To Tell Her Mom That Her Hair 'Stinks' & Other Kids 'Tease Her' About It

A mother was stunned after receiving an alarming letter from her daughter’s teacher about the little girl’s hair.

The teacher believed that she was looking out for the girl. However, her mother disagreed and was doing what was necessary to maintain her daughter’s hair. 

The teacher sent a letter home to inform the girl’s mother that her hair ‘stinks’ and other kids ‘tease her’ about it. 

Tionna Norris shared the letter in question on her Facebook page in 2017. The teacher was concerned about the amount of coconut oil Hope was applying to her daughter, Amia’s hair, and claims that it has made her a target of bullying from her classmates. 

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“Dear Tiona,” the teacher opens her letter. “I understand the amount of coconut oil on Amia’s hair, but please do not use as much. The children were complaining that her hair ‘stinks.’” 

“If you have to apply daily - please do so lightly, so the kids don’t tease her. Thank you for understanding.” Instead of taking the teacher’s unsolicited advice, Norris shared that she would not be making any changes to Amia’s hair routine. 

“Y’all gonna feel that black girl magic. Sincerely, unapologetically from a Black mom,” she wrote in her Facebook post alongside a photo of her adorable daughter. “P.S. Coconut oil has no stinky smell.” 

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Coconut oil has many benefits when it is applied to hair. 

It contains vitamins and essential fatty acids that nourish the scalp and delivers extra moisture to strands and add shine to the hair. Since coconut oil is easily absorbed, it works better than most oils at repairing dry hair. Additionally, it does not stink. It is known for having a naturally pleasant coconut or neutral scent. 

Other Facebook users supported the mother and daughter. “Coconut oil doesn't stink to me. Sincerely, a proud coconut oil user,” one user commented. “That teacher is out of line,” another user wrote. 

Norris was worried and hurt on her daughter’s behalf and believed that she was being discriminated against. 

“I was extremely offended and hurt for my child. To assume that the coconut oil came from her hair just because she is a natural child is ridiculous,” she wrote in a follow-up Facebook post. “Coconut oil was not used on the style and that's why I was so mad because it was stereotypical to assume the natural girl in the class applied too much oil to her hair.”

The mother met up with the director of the school, where she was met with the shocking revelation that Amia was never teased over her hair. 

“I found out that no child ever bullied Amia (she's actually quite popular) and the word ‘stink’ was used in quotes because she [the teacher] knew it didn't have a foul odor,” Norris revealed. “It was just something the teacher was not used to and thought it was heavy (she has a sensitive nose so she says) they have fully taken responsibility and understand why it's so offensive.”

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Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.