The parents of a black teenager who had a design shaved into his hair are suing school staff for colouring in the pattern with a marker pen.

The 13-year-old, who went to Berry Miller Junior High in Texas last April with the "M" motif in his hair, was allegedly told by three white members of staff that he could either call his mother, receive disciplinary action or colour in the design with a permanent marker.

The three claimed the boy's "common African-American 'fade' haircut" violated the school's dress code, according to the lawsuit.

Lawyers for the family claim the teachers laughed as they coloured in the boy's scalp.

The federal civil rights lawsuit says the boy was "immensely humiliated and shamed".


The pupil's mother told KTRK-TV: "When it first happened, I was very upset because I didn't find out until after he got off the bus and he got into the car and said, 'look what they did to my head'.

"They [the school] were very apologetic, but it still happened... you know, for an adult, no one should think that's the correct way to handle a situation."

Randall Kallinen, the lawyer representing the boy's parents, said the lawsuit named the Pearland independent school district, the school's principal, a discipline clerk and a teacher as defendants.

The teenager's parents are seeking compensation following the incident and are calling for school staff to receive training.

The district, in the Houston area, has not yet responded to the lawsuit but at the time of the incident said an administrator "mishandled" the situation.