SAN ANTONIO, Texas - May 3, 2010 - A Walzem Elementary School kindergartener was suspended this week because of a swirl design cut into his closely cropped hair.

Five-year-old Tyran Miller was getting out of his mom's car Monday morning when Principal Laura Huggins noticed the design.

“As soon as she saw his head, she said it was something she couldn't allow and that it was not conventional,” said Tyran's mother, Crystal Gray.

Gray was given the option of shaving Tyran's head or keeping him home until his hair grew out. If she sent him to school, she was told, he'd be in in-school suspension until the symbol was gone.

Gray opted for in-school suspension because she didn't want Tyran to stockpile absences, but she's worried because he's missing crucial time in his dual language classroom. He also missed a class field trip to the San Antonio Zoo on Tuesday.

“I was supposed to be a chaperone, so we were both looking forward to it,” she said.

North East Independent School District policy doesn't specifically address hairstyles for elementary students other than to say parents are strongly urged to enforce moderate hairstyles and high standards of dress. It also says, “While it is inevitable that there will be differences of opinion as to the appropriateness of dress and grooming, the final determination will be in the judgment of the building principal.”

Under additional information for middle and high school students, the dress code says, “Unconventional hairstyles (multicolored, spiked, Mohawk, etc.) that are considered to be distracting and/or disruptive to the educational environment are prohibited.”

Huggins said unusual hairstyles have been popping up more frequently in the past few weeks, and school administration has been cracking down. Students have been reprimanded for sporting Mohawks and “faux hawks” - when kids use gel or spray to make their hair stand up - as well as hair designs and unconventional colors. She said even though Tyran is a 5-year-old, she believes she has to enforce the rules uniformly.

“We've had the same situation with other students and have already set a precedent,” she said. “We're concerned about being fair and consistent.”