Mother Posts Heartbreaking Open Letter After Teen Daughter's Wig Was Ripped Off

High school can be tough. Not only are you going through the very awkward and troubling ritual of growing into your adult body, but you've got a bunch of people surrounding you who are, presumably, just as insecure as you are.

People tend to deal with insecurities in different ways. Some, if raised right, show empathy and try to help others get through their tough times. Others might take a more hurtful approach, like bullying and teasing so they could feel better about themselves.

These people obviously are the worst. That's why it's so awesome when a bully gets their comeuppances.

It'd be much better for everyone if we lived in a world where bullies were taught valuable lessons in self-respect before they go and do something harmful, but sadly, that wasn't the case for 16-year-old Lauren, a student at Williamson County High School.

Security footage from the school's cameras show a teenage boy running up to Lauren and ripping the wig off of her head. Authorities later learned that the incident occurred because of a $5 bet, and that other students were involved.

One of them even followed Lauren to the bathroom, laughing the entire time. They posted the video to Snapchat, titled "weave snatchin."

There could be any number of reasons as to why someone is sporting hair that isn't theirs on top of their head. Lauren's reason, sadly, is a medical one - she suffers from a scalp condition that causes extreme dryness in her hair that results in breakage and loss.

After Lauren's mother, Myckelle Williams, learned of the incident, she took to social media to put the bullies and school administration on blast.

Her full message was a rallying cry to not only get justice for her daughter, but to raise awareness about teens being bullied all over America.

 Yesterday I received a call from my youngest daughter screaming and crying on the phone, for me to come and get her from school.
Apparently, some boys had taken a $5 BET about pulling her wig off in front of everyone.

Lulu has a scalp condition that causes severe dryness and hair breakage and loss, and had been so ashamed of her appearance that she had taken to wearing wigs in an effort to still feel beautiful. We all know how easy it is to feel insecure at age 16.

These kids not only tore her wig off in the middle of school, but video taped it. They followed her to the bathroom as she screamed and cried and proceeded to tape her OVER the stall as she cried and begged for her wig.

Later I had to take her to the hospital for abrasions and whiplash.Lulu later decided to shave her hair off and not let these bullies win. She was not wanting to feel controlled by her hair any longer, and take back her control. I am only posting this with her permission but yesterday our entire family was angered and in tears about the way she was treated.

The teen suicide rate has now DOUBLED and bullying has played a HUGE Role.

If you have a teen in this situation, continue to uplift them and let them know that they are strong and beautiful and can own thier insecurities and take control rather than being controlled.

I admire the strength and beauty of my little Lulu and know that she will inspire many others even through this difficult time in her life.

#SayNoToShaming2018

Please share Lulu’s story if you have or know a teen who needs to know they are beautiful no matter what! Let’s empower other young girls to reclaim Thier Power!
Bullies will not win in 2018.

Unfortunately, the attack left Lauren in not only physical pain, as the sudden tearing motion caused abrasions on her scalp as well hurting her neck, but it left her emotionally distraught as well. Lauren, with the support of her family, however, ultimately didn't settle for that depression - she went home, shaved her head, and rocked her new hairdo with pride.

Myckelle alleges that the weave snatching incident is a culmination of many months of bullying that Lauren has suffered. She chronicled all of the previous instances that she confronted the school board about with this photo she uploaded of Lauren's close-cropped look.

Lauren's story began garnering attention from a variety of media outlets, and local news channels were interviewing her and her family. Williams used it as an opportunity to speak out against bullying, demand action from school administrators, and praise her daughter's reaction to the incident.

People began sharing Lauren's story over a variety of social media platforms.

And encouraged her to stay strong in the wake of her attack.

But Williams alleges the school's administration isn't exactly happy with all of the attention the story's been getting and has tried to curb it's spreading in some pretty sneaky ways.

She also wanted to clear the air regarding reporters who tried to suggest that the attack may have been "racially motivated" as a caucasian student carried out the attack. Williams attributes the bullying behavior more to school culture than racism, a point she reinforced by highlighting the overwhelming support she received from both her community and people all over the world.

She insisted that she's sharing Lauren's story to end bullying in all forms, regardless of a person's color.

Whether or not this has anything to do with race is NOT my focus.
If someone wants to hurt someone else because of what’s on the outside (a factor that they cannot control) then that makes them just another BULLY. 

Lauren seems to be recovering from the incident quite well and is proudly flexing her new style, too.

We can't control what bullies do, but we can control our reaction to it. As for Lauren and her family, it seems like the reaction that they chose was a pretty darn good one.