The Ekiti State High Court has dismissed the Suit brought by Gift Agenoisa, a 10-year-old JSS1 student at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Ado Ekiti, who dragged the Ekiti State Government to court demanding 15 million Naira compensation for physical abuse and violation of rights by her school principal, who allegedly disciplined the student for indecent hairdo.
The Judge, Lekan Ogunmoye, ruled that the deponent’s testimony that the Young Girl was subjected to 20 strokes of the cane was hearsay because the mother was not there at the time and the deponent relied her testimony on third-party information.
He further pointed out the inconsistency in the Applicant’s claims of physical abuse, hospitalization of the girl for two days, and infliction of life-altering injuries, when medical evidence showed otherwise.
The Judge, while ruling on the Principal’s Punishment, pointed out that every organised society has its own Code of Conduct, hence the Instructors’ actions were proper.
“Every Pupil shall obey the Simple Hairstyle of the School…”, according to paragraph 28 of the prospectus of Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Ado Ekiti.
The Girl did not follow the rules because her hair was not a Simple Hairstyle, according to the judge.
It was also revealed that there was no suspension by the School on the Child, as she was only told not to come back to the school with such hairdo, and there was no letter to that effect!
The judge therefore dismissed the Suit based on the above.
