SAHUARITA, Ariz. — A counselor is under investigation for possible criminal charges involving a 9-year-old girl.
It happened earlier this month at Sahuarita Intermediate School.
The parents said their daughter was taken out of her classroom by the counselor, and she proceeded to brush and cut their child's hair against her will.
The parents told News 4 Tucson their child was traumatized so by the incident that they took out an injunction against the school counselor for harassment.
The child hasn't returned to class since Friday.
The 9-year-old girl explained what happened.
"So she started brushing my hair, and when I started telling her to stop because it hurt. She didn't stop at all."
She went on to say, "Then she got huge scissors, and she started cutting my hair and when I started telling her to stop, she didn't stop."
The child went back to class and was very emotional. One of her friends took notice and asked her what happened. The child told her, and they both went to the teacher and eventually to the principal's office.
The parents, Chris and Tina Wolf, were called.
The father said, "It was an awful thing to hear of another adult do to your child."
The mother said the issue of her daughter not brushing her hair has come up before by both the teacher and the counselor.
The teacher told them, "She didn't see any signs of neglect. My daughter was a good student and so she handled the correct way," added Tina.
When they met with the counselor that was another story.
Tina said: "She wanted to meet with my daughter for counseling and put her in a group. We did not give her permission to do so. She made it very clear that my daughter needed to do something about her hair in order to fit in."
The parents added, as long as the counselor remains on campus their daughter will be attending a different school.
Amber Woods, Director of Communications, sent a quote.
"The evidence suggests that, out of concern for the child's well-being, the school counselor took it upon themselves to address the significantly tangled hair of a student. During this process, the hair was brushed, and some of the most challenging tangles were cut. Afterward, the student expressed discomfort and mentioned that combing the tangles hurt. In accordance with reporting regulations and taking the student's statements into consideration, the school administrator contacted the Sahuarita Police Department.
The police have concluded their investigation, and at this point, our investigation suggests that there was no harmful intent involved in the counselor's actions. The situation has otherwise been administratively addressed in an appropriate manner."
Pima County Attorney's Office sent a statement saying:
“No arrest was made in this case. We have recently received follow up law enforcement paperwork into our office, and the case is still under review by our prosecutors.”
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