DeLAND, Fla. – A Volusia County teen told Local 6 he was forced to leave school Tuesday because of his Mohawk hairstyle.
Local 6 has confirmed that Asher Stonesifer was sent home by Principal Mitch Moyer at DeLand High School for insubordination.
"I was actually quite surprised. I can understand where they're coming from, but it's never caused a problem," Moyer told Local 6.
The incident came a day after Moyer had warned the 17-year-old not to return to school because of his 16-inch hair spiked into a blond-tipped Liberty Spike Mohawk.
Moyer issued the warning based on school board policy that makes it a principal's responsibility "to see that the dress appearance of any student shall not be extreme, to the point of creating a disturbance, or be hazardous to the student and/or others, or school property." Hair is not mentioned in the district-wide school dress code, but it's up to the principal's discretion.
The teen is attempting to set a world record for the tallest Mohawk of its kind.
"I'm weird, uncommon and socially unacceptable, so why can't my hair express that too?" Moyer said.
His mother, Rae, said she supports her son's goal.
"It's important to my son. It gives him his own individual personality," she said.
The senior is gathering signatures from those who support his fight to wear his Mohawk, but for now, he said he'll wear his hair down and hope the rules change in the future.