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Investigation launched after girl's head shaved at state-run group home

NEEDHAM, Mass. — The company that runs a group-home for children with behavioral needs has launched an investigation after a 7-year-old girl's head was shaved at the facility, and her mother is furious.

The incident took place at the Little Heroes facility in Dracut, and officials said if any employee was found to have acted inappropriately they will be punished.

MORE: 7-year-old girl 'traumatized' after having head shaved at state-run program

The company is based in Needham.

Denise Robinson’s daughter Tru lives at the facility. The biracial girl used to have long locks, but Robinson said the haircut was made without permission and now her is dealing with trauma from the ordeal in addition to a hairless head.

“I feel like my daughter was assaulted and violated,” Robinson said. “They made a game out of it while they were cutting her hair, and after they cut her hair, then they told her oh, it will grow back straight don’t worry.”

That is troubling to Robinson who says aside from her daughter not wanting the haircut, the message is out of line.

“I’m not afraid to say it and talk about the elephant in the room, I believe it’s a biracial matter and by shaving her head close they were somehow implying that straighter hair is better than dread, curly hair,” attorney Richard Kendall said.

Since it happened early this week, Robinson says nobody at Little Heroes Home answered her questions about why it happened, except to say they have authority to cut hair without permission for hygiene purposes.

“There was no head lice, there was no bed bugs, there was no Rasta locks was going on. Her hair was two pony tails on the side on Saturday, it was braided in the pony tails, there was nothing wrong with her hair,” she said.

Boston 25 News reached out to the Department of Children and Families to ask if it was investigating the issue, and officials wouldn’t comment due to privacy issues.

Little Heroes sent a statement regarding what happened, saying in part: “We cannot provide any information about any individual served by the program under federal and state law. A review of the circumstances is underway to determine what occurred and, if necessary, appropriate action will be taken.”