Texas Teen Told To Cut Dreadlocks Or Not Walk For Graduation
On Monday, the nation collectively spent the day remembering the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and recognized his fight for equal rights for all Americans, but in one Texas school district a similar fight has erupted - this time over hair vs. policy.
According to KENS, Deandre Arnold, a student attending school in Barbers Hill ISD, has been suspended from school and won't be allowed to walk at graduation in three months unless he cuts his locks. Arnold's suspension has outraged the community, and activists and supporters of Arnold packed into a Barbers Hill School Board meeting on Monday night to air out their concerns.
The district says its not about locks or race, as Board Superintendent Greg Poole used the board's dress code policy as a guideline for their decision.
"There is no dress code policy that prohibits any cornrow or any other method of wearing of the hair, Our policy limits the length. It's been that way for 30 years." - Supt. Greg Poole Barbers Hill ISD via KENS
A handful of speakers agreed with the district and pleaded with board members not to make an exception with the rules while those who opposed the board's reasoning pointed to the lack of diversity on the board as the reason for an "outdated" policy.
What are your thoughts on this? Should the district revise its policy or stick to it? Do you think this an issue of race and hair, or an issue of following the rules?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.