Fairfax Parents Upset After They Say Chunks Of Hair Removed In Drug Testing

Some parents of Woodland High School students in Fairfax are outraged after several of their daughters came home with bald spots on their head from drug testing at the school. They say the school told them they tested hair follicles instead of urine samples.

All of the parents I spoke to tell me they fully support the drug testing. They just want to know why their daughters are left with several bald spots.

Destanee Donaldson says she signed consent forms at the beginning of the year allowing her daughter to be tested for drugs.
But this wasn't what she was expecting.

"She had three chunks taken out. One towards the front that was very excessive and unnecessary," said Destanee Donaldson, parent.

Reagan Lockert is one of the students - upset about bald spots - with prom just weeks away.

"We were told we were going to get hair follicles. They never said anything about bald spots," Reagan said.

"You know they care a lot about their hair and their appearance," said parent Pamela Renfro. "We are really just shocked by the amount of hair that was taken."

Parent Pamela Renfro says she hasn't had any luck getting answers from the school. She tells me a letter posted on the school's website from the third-party company apologized - saying that collector has limited experience collecting hair samples in a school setting.

I went to the school to speak with the superintendent but was told he wasn't available to talk. Then I asked for a statement from the school and was told they didn't have one.

"It could have been done differently. I feel like that when you are sitting there observing hair chunks being taken out, you could say 'hey, what's going on?'"

These parents say they're speaking up to make sure this doesn't happen again.

"It takes 150 strands to do a hair follicle test. My daughter has four bald spots on her head. So that what we are upset about. Not the drug testing," parent Pamela Renfro said.