Makayla Fallaw loves tumbling and cheering. She also loves her naturally thick, curly hair. But the 11-year-old was told to leave her cheerleading team when her mother said she couldn't straighten Makayla's hair to match the rest of the girls for a competition.
Makayla has been practicing at Woodlands Elite Cheer Company's location near her family's home in Tomball five days a week since April, her mother, Jenny Fallaw, said. The family has spent nearly $2,000 on uniforms, makeup, hair bows and fees.
When it came time to plan for what would have been Makayla's first competition with this gym, moms and coaches for the group suggested a straight hairstyle for the team. Fallaw joined two other mothers concerned about damaging their daughters' hair to achieve the designated look.
Fallaw says they suggested alternative styles that would work with their daughters' hair and the look the team had chosen. The disagreement ended up going to Woodlands Elite's general manager Allen Shearer, who Fallaw said made the decision on Tuesday that if the three girls involved would not straighten their hair, they would not be able to compete. One mother agreed to straighten her daughter's hair, Fallaw said, and another girl ended up leaving the team along with Makayla.
Most of the girls on the ages 8 to 16 team are white, with naturally straight hair, and Makayla is Hispanic and biracial. In the conversations about styling, Kevin Tonner, the program's all-star cheer director, told Fallaw, "I know other mixed kids and you can put relaxer in her hair," Fallaw recalled.
In show choir, we had to have certain hair style so I kind of understand. You're docked points for a lack of uniformity.
Typically though you're just replaced with someone else though if you **** up. Not kicked off completely
