How is this still happening? 8-year-old Native American student forced to cut hair

[MercyA]

"A Kansas grade school forced an 8-year-old Native American boy to cut off his hair after he grew it out for cultural reasons, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

...The boy, who is member of the Wyandotte Nation, attended an annual tribal gathering geared toward children over the summer. He saw many men with long hair and was inspired to adopt the common cultural practice of cutting hair only when mourning the loss of a loved one.

...In August, school officials told him that he needed to cut his hair to comply with the dress code, the ACLU said. His mother went to the school in September and explained that he grew out his hair for cultural reasons and offered to show documentation of his tribal affiliation. The ACLU said she was told there were no exemptions. 

The assistant principal then emailed the mother on a Friday, telling her she had until the following Monday to get her son’s hair cut or he would be sent home.

Unable to reach the superintendent, she cut her son’s hair over that September weekend, convinced it was the only way to keep him in school."

This is infuriating. They can't let an 8-year-old keep his long hair? Who is it hurting? We are *still* forcing Native Americans to assimilate?

Related story from October: a black student was suspended and then moved to a disciplinary alternative education school for refusing to cut his locs.

[ScoutTN]

That is insane. What public schools have dress codes that include hair? How have these idiotic things persisted? 

[Carrie12345]

I can’t with this crap.

My 16yo ds has long hair for no other reason than he likes it. My 5yo nephew, too. WHO CARES?!?!  
FTR, we’ve been trying to encourage ds to cut his, but we’ll never force him to because it’s his body. 

Body + culture + US history??? I’d be losing my ever loving mind!

[Katy]

It’s hard to believe these things are still happening. 

[TheReader]

What's double infuriating is that Texas (ref. in the Oct story about the black student) just passed the CROWN act, so it shouldn't even be able to require that of him. (the school in question is notorious for it, though, and claims that they aren't banning the *style*, only the *length* which is different and not covered under the law....so they say). 

Many other states also have a similar CROWN law, which is supposed to prevent against/protect against this crap. 

 

On a side note - my son, when hearing about the dress code rules (his cousin attends the TX school in question), and that also boys aren't allowed ear piercings there, replied: "That makes me almost want to get my ear(s) pierced...." because yes, it is absurd.