This latest installment of “Adventures in Zero Tolerance Land” illustrates the ludicrousness of some school rules across the U.S.

Meet Kenneth Fails who got an in-school suspension on the first day of school because they say that his hair is too long. They want him to cut it.

From the article about this incident:

It’s only the first day of class at Itasca Middle School, and 12-year-old Kenneth Fails has already been issued an in-school suspension.

His offense: Long hair. Fails hasn’t cut it in at least two years.

“It’s in a room across from the principal’s office. Just me and the teacher, right now,” Fails said. “I just like having my hair long,” he said.

His school noticed in April, and slammed him with an in-school suspension for the rest of his fifth grade year.

“It was something like nine weeks,” he said.

His mom hoped the policy would change over the summer. It didn’t. “Hair Don’ts” include below the shoulder length hair for males.

“He’s my son and I want to teach him to stand up for what he believes in,” Marsha Wisnosky said.

Wisnosky says the policy is unfair because it allows girls to wear long hair.

“I’m mad about it because they’re taking his rights away from him,” Wisnosky said.

Wisnosky was so mad she started a petition drive and put up signs in her front yard. One sign reads, “Jesus had long hair.”

Wisnosky’s yard faces Main Street and a Methodist Church.

The school board says it won’t bend. Wisnosky says she may need an attorney.

This means that one bad hair day could turn into a year. Kenneth’s mom says his punishment means her son cannot attend physical education classes, eat lunch in the cafeteria or participate in after school activities.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Honestly, this is just another case of adults getting too far on the ledge and stubbornly refusing to retreat.  Besides the fact that it is fundamentally sexist not to allow this young man to have long hair, it also serves NO PURPOSE.  He certainly does not deserve to spend his entire school year in detention for this.  His mother also should not have to hire a lawyer to fight this which is bound to be expensive.   Ridiculous!  This young man’s schooling experience must be excrutiating and might contribute to creating another drop-out.  Administrators and educators really need to fight the bigger battles and leave this other stuff alone.