Kamryn Renfro, 9, a student at Grand Junction public charter school Caprock Academy, was turned away from school March 25 after she showed up with her head completely shaved to support her friend Delaney Clements, who is battling cancer. The school’s dress code prohibits shaved heads and sees them as potential classroom disruptors.

As the story of her act of solidarity with a friend being squashed by a tyrannical dress code started to make national news, Renfro was allowed back to school the next day. Gawker reported that discussion of the dress would take place between school officials.

Gawker also reported on Sunnie Kahle, 8, of Timberlake, Va., who was sent home with a letter from her principal at Timberlake Christian School. A picture of Kahle shows short brown hair, an oversized t-shirt, loose-fitting jeans and sneakers. Her school considered her appearance to be “condoning sexual immorality, practicing a homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity,” and they refused her to attend school “unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity…”

Sunny has since transferred to a public school.

Sunny probably isn’t trying to make an affirmation of her sexual identity, because she is eight years old. However, her choice of clothing and hairstyle still managed to irk those in charge of her school.

Both Caprock and Timberlake Christian School seem to be more concerned with the appearance of their students than anyone else is, including the kids themselves. One did something to support her friend, and the other wore jeans and sneakers.

Caprock’s suspension of Kamryn was (and their rule against shaved heads is) a violation of her right to self-expression.

Timberlake Christian, a private, religious institution, failed when they told an eight-year-old girl that the way she wanted to look was wrong.

Students who can easily express themselves are probably going to do better in school. Limiting classroom disruption is important. Removing students from the classroom because of the way they look is not.

A school fails the moment it prioritizes anything over the individual success of its students.