My mom shaved my biracial daughter’s head without permission – so I called the cops

A recent viral post on Reddit sparked fierce debate after a mother detailed the shocking moment her mother shaved her daughter’s hair without permission.

She explained that her three-year-old child is biracial, which is at the heart of the story.

“Zoe is biracial – I’m white and my husband Tyler is black,” she wrote.

“Zoe has the most amazing curly hair and I’ve always taken great care of it. She absolutely loves her curls and we’ve made styling her hair a fun bonding activity together.”

The poster’s mother, Susan, has always had a problem with Zoe’s hair.

She has made comments in the past like, “She looks so wild,” “That’s a lot of hair for a little girl,” and “Wouldn’t it be easier if they were straight?”

“I’ve always shrugged it off. I thought it was just harmless ignorance – until last week.

“My mother raped my daughter”

“Last week, I had a work emergency and needed someone to watch Zoe for a few hours,” the mother continues.

“My mum was nearby and offered to help so I left Zoe with her for a few hours. When I came to pick Zoe up, I was horrified – Zoe’s gorgeous curls were completely gone.

“Her head was shaved bald. I started screaming, asking what the hell had happened, and Mom just shrugged and said, ‘I did her a favor. Now it looks neat and presentable. Besides, it will grow straight back.”

The poster was “absolutely burnt” so Zoe, who was in tears, grabbed it and left immediately.

“When we got home, I couldn’t calm down. Zoe kept touching her head and I was excited and on the verge of tears, feeling like my mother had violated my daughter’s sense of self,” she says.

“I decided to call the police and report the incident as an assault.

“They actually came and took statements from me and mum, and she was brought in for questioning later. After that, my father, whom I have always loved and respected, called me and got angry. He said I had gone too far, that the mother was just trying to help, and that calling the police was a big reaction.

“Hearing my father with him broke my heart. I yelled back that mum had no right to touch Zoe’s hair, that she was not respecting my boundaries as a parent and that I would not tolerate it.”

Now her parents aren’t talking to her and her sisters have called her “cruel”, so she wants to know – did she overreact?

“Ignorance”

People wholeheartedly supported the mother in the comments, saying that her mother overcame her massively.

“Your mother would sing a very different tune if someone shaved her head. Shame on your dad for supporting him. Cutting someone’s hair without permission is a crime in many countries,” one person said.

“The OP should tell her that if she talks to her again, she can see her granddaughter when Zoe shaves her head. That would be great if that happened. Grandma should wear it like that as she grows up. If that happens, I hope it grows slowly and she hates how it looks. This is just so many levels of wrong,” added a second.

And a third agreed: “Slow clap for the OP, you handled this perfectly. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I can only imagine how your daughter is processing this. And we’ll see in court whether it was an overreaction. Anyone who stays with your mother can lose.”

Many thought there was some bias involved.

“There is a long history of racism against black women who wear their hair natural,” one noted.

“I can’t help but think it stems from that. Also, thinking that her hair will grow straight shows total ignorance. Why would you think that?”

Finally, there was this important point: “Ask your family who think you’re overreacting if they’d be okay with you shaving their heads. No big deal, right? It’s just a haircut. Then show them this post.”