Girl Gets Hair Done for Her Birthday and Father and Stepmom Chop It All off as Punishment

Beyond distraught, a teenage girl returned home to her mother with her tresses hacked off — an alleged act of abuse by two adults who were meant to care for this vulnerable child.

Our hair helps us form our identity and express ourselves — essential esteem boosters for growing teenagers trying to discover themselves.

Of course, no matter what style or color one may don, people will disapprove. However, in one case, two of these naysayers purportedly took it a step too far.

Cruel Consequences

In Ohio, volunteer firefighters Schaffen and Sarah took leave in 2018 after being accused of harming their teen daughter. Following a child abuse complaint, Haskins Police Chief Colby Carroll expressed:

“I’ve been doing this since ’92, and I’ve never had a case I would say that’s like this. Mom was upset with how her child was being cared for. [sic]”

It was meant to be a joyous occasion when Kelsey got hair highlights for her birthday. However, her father and stepmom were said to be displeased by this style, allegedly chopping the teen's hair off as punishment.

Kelsey's Mom Reacts

Fuming, the teen's mom took to Facebook. She posted shots of Kelsey with long hair and two snaps of her with extremely short hair, looking devastated. Christin Johnson penned:

"This is what my daughter looked like Sunday when I took her home, and the other two pics is what happened today before she was brought to me. [sic]"

The post went viral, complete with a mixture of 40,000 shocked, sad, and furious emojis, 24,000 shares, and a whopping 6,000 comments since the mom posted it.

A Rising Anger

Out of these thousands of comments, many heavily criticized the stepmom and dad, expressing sadness and anger over the duo's purported actions. One person remarked:

"Hopefully, the father goes to jail, and someone makes him their [expletive]."

Several fellow Facebook users emphasized that it was abuse and encouraged Christin to take legal action. They expressed their disgust and the emotional toll it would take on the child.

While many Facebook users recognized the act as abuse, they did their best to share a more positive note of the situation. Some tried to make the young woman feel better, telling her she still looked gorgeous.

Many said the young woman looked beautiful and that she would look beautiful whether her hair was long or short. However, they also said her father should lose custody and visitation rights.

Others sent messages of support to Kelsey, telling her to stay strong and focus on herself, and encouraging her by telling her how incredible she was.

The Road to Recovery

Although an investigation was ongoing due to the complaint, no one laid official charges against Schaffen and Sarah at the time.

However, Kelsey's mother granted her a silver lining, buying her a long wig. This gesture left her with a smile that had previously disappeared from the traumatic experience.

Her mother publicly thanked those who helped them pick out and fit the wig with a Facebook post showing the women who had helped them and photos of her daughter wearing the wig. She divulged that it allowed Kelsey to feel like herself again.

This post garnered many reactions and messages of congratulations to Kelsey and her mother. Kelsey was once again celebrated for her beauty and bravery on her mother's post.

A Life of Discrimination

Beyond everyday self-discovery, our hair can also play a massive part in our cultural and ethnic identity. If someone takes this away from us, it can be beyond heartbreaking.

A significant part of "Rhonda Lux," now going by Rhonda Fils-Aimé's identity, was completely erased as a child. Growing up, she was forced to straighten her hair to be raised as white by her adoptive family. This woman of color was made to wear sunscreen and treated differently from her other siblings.

Fils-Aimé was utterly unaware of her true roots as a child until she was much older. She eventually discovered that she was part black and that her biological dad was Haitian.

Whether it's through wigs or finding one's true roots, Kelsey and Fils-Aimé refused to let an outside force negate who they are by attempting to take control of their luscious locks.

While this woman faced trouble with her daughter's biological father, another faced issues because she was not her son's biological mother. You can read their full story here.