Board allows girl who shaved head for friend to return
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — A charter school voted Tuesday to allow a girl who shaved her head to support her friend battling cancer to return to school.
Caprock Academy told Kamryn Renfro's mother Monday that her daughter would not be allowed to attend classes because her shaved head violated the school's dress code policy.
Kamryn shaved her head in support of her cancer-stricken friend, 11-year-old Delaney Clements, who lost her hair because she is undergoing chemotherapy in her fight against neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer.
"The medicine she was taking made her hair fall out. So, I decided to shave my head," Kamryn said at the meeting Tuesday. "Delaney was really excited! She jumped up and down".
The school's initial decision garnered national attention and officials received numerous calls from people who were outraged.
The board held a special meeting Tuesday to decide an exception to its policy should be made for Kamryn. Members voted 3-1 in favor of allowing Kamryn back to school with her head shaved.
"Our lesson is that we want to be both aware of our immediate and large community. We want to do service as to how important we feel the interest of children is," Caprock board member Catherine Norton Breman said.
Kamryn's mother, Jamie Renfro, was thrilled with the board's decision. She knew her daughter had violated the school's policy, but she never expected them to initially tell her she couldn't return to school.
Sunday night, Renfro posted about the controversy on Facebook, which created a firestorm of negative reaction towards the school. Renfro is now asking for that negative reaction to stop.
"We have got an amazing staff and an amazing administration," Renfro said. "They suffered greatly today. For that, I am sorry. I feel extremely guilty. I would just like all of that negativity to go away.
Jamie and Kamryn planned to meet with Delaney and her mother in Denver after Tuesday's meeting. Delaney is expected to undergo additional chemotherapy Wednesday.