Texas Girl Kicked off Cheer Squad Because of Her Curly Hair

A Texas mom is livid after her daughter has been kicked off her cheer squad because of her natural, curly hair.

Jenny Fallaw is the mother of Makayla Fallaw, an 11-year-old who has been cheering since the age of four. She's been practicing her tumbling and cheerleading for years and loves the sport. But sadly, Makayla doesn't have a team to cheer with anymore.

Woodlands Elite Cheer kicked the young girl off the squad after her and her mother refused to straighten the girl's natural, curly hair. The rest of the cheer squad are required to have their hair straight in a pony tail for their competition. Fallaw first sent an email, then set up a meeting with the cheer squad's owners and the cheer director to explain the hair situation with them.

"Just a few weeks ago is the first time I had heard about a special hairstyle. I felt like I might make my daughter feel like her hair is not good enough because she's not like other girls."

Jenny Fallaw also felt that straightening her daughter's natural curly hair would destroy it, and didn't want to damage her daughter's hair unnecessarily.

The cheer team's representatives said that they were willing to compromise with Fallaw to keep her daughter on the cheer squad, but the girl's mother wasn't willing.

"When you come into the sport, you understand there is make up to it. There's hair to it. We were trying to make the exception. We were trying to find a compromise and a happy medium. And she wasn't willing to have a compromise. She was very defensive."

Jenny Fallow said that she didn't want to compromise her daughter's beautiful, natural curly hair for competitions. Makayla was kicked off the squad not for her hair, but for the negativity it caused. Tonner said he didn't want that negativity on the team.

When asked if all cheer teams had to wear their hair straight for competitions, Tonner said it was up to the team to choose the hairstyle. Members of the squad are only required to wear their hair in the style for a few hours during the competitions, but could keep their hair however they want during practice.

I know when I was younger on dance teams, we had to wear our hair in various ways. Curly, straight, in a bun, with a wig, extra ponytail or curls and other ways. This was part of the "competition outfit" or "costume." Everyone had to do this. I don't think this girl was being singled out for her hairstyle, there were many times I had to sleep in sponge curlers at night so my hair would get (ironically) curly enough for competition the next day. I also had to wear a bleach blonde wig for a routine that looked absolutely hideous on me. But that was part of my costume and I knew that when I signed up for those classes. I still hate that wig.

When you're being judged during a competition, it is about looking exactly the same as the girl next to you. Your jumps are the same height, your spilts are even, your outfit is the same and yes, even your hair is exactly the same as the other girls.