Mom Says She Was Told To Watch Her Kids' School Play 'Through The Window' Because Of Her Face Tattoos
Critics are blaming her.
Jam Press / deborabritodrumond via Canva / Brett Sayles via Pexels One mother who was excited to see her kids perform in their school’s nativity play was taken aback when she was banned from entering due to the tattoos on her face.
Melissa Sloan recently shared her story of rejection.
The tattooed mom says teachers refused to let her into her kids' performance.
Sloan is a 45-year-old mother of seven and a self-proclaimed ‘tattoo addict’. She has decided that she won’t stop until her whole body is covered in ink. In one interview with The Sun, Sloan said, “I’ll keep going as long as I live.”
She lives by the slogan "you only live once" and is committed to making the best of it — despite its occasional effect on her parenting, including not being allowed to attend her child's school play. She claimed that once she arrived at the school, the teachers onsite would not give her a seat in the auditorium and instructed her to “Go back to the garden” — referencing the flower tattoos covering Sloan’s face.
"'Look through the class window' they told me. The teachers told me to do that, that's why I don't go to the school play," Sloan said.
Sloan shared that she is routinely prohibited from attending the kids’ school events either officially or due to the blatant stares of other parents and children in attendance. The shock and curiosity surrounding her appearance make her feel unwelcome.
As a workaround, Sloan usually sends her partner, Luke, to events. She told Leicestershire Live, “He's going tonight to the kids' fair as I can't go there as I'm not wanted. I feel so jealous as I can't go there and to the Christmas fair as I know what they're [teachers and parents] like towards me."
Sloan told various media outlets that she is accustomed to being singled out because of her unique appearance.
Sloan has previously made headlines when she claimed she is unable to get a job due to her face tattoos. "I still can't get a job because of my tattoos, I can't even go into pubs around here because of it," she told The Mirror. Sloan has also mentioned her inability to go to the bank because of her tattoos.
"They say it's offensive, they don't like it — it upsets them in the posh pubs. I take no notice," she explained.
This assertion led to negative online feedback and prompted her to create a Facebook post in response to one of the naysayers.
But many Redditors shared the same sentiment, placing the blame on Sloan for her choice to cover her face. One Redditor said, “Yes, she sounds addicted. It sounds like it’s her coping mechanism, and the pain/pleasure part may part of it. I hope she can get some help. Derma Blend also does wonders for hiding those tats for her children’s school events.”
Another person agreed but also pointed out the legal ramifications of such discrimination. She said, “She actually sounds surprised that she can’t get a job, looking like that! Even if you didn’t see the UK part of the link, it’s so clear that this didn’t take place in the US because there would have been lawsuits up the Yazoo from day one.”
She added a final note, “I don’t know why she hasn’t sued. I think she looks terrible but, on a basic civil rights basis, the school doesn’t have a right to keep her out.”
There aren't any laws the protect tattooed people from discrimination.
As such, workplaces and other private establishments are free to establish clothing and other dress codes, such as rules regarding tattoos, at their will.
Tattoos are becoming more and more commonplace, with 30 percent of Americans having at least one tattoo — and research has shown that having a tattoo doesn't usually negatively affect employment or wages. That said, we're still a long way from places being completely accepting of tattoos, especially when they cover the entire body.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.