Student Suspended Over Dreadlocks Is Invited to the Oscars by ‘Hair Love’ Team

The guideline has been part of the student handbook for at least three decades, said Jami Navarre, a school district spokeswoman.

“Our policy is legally acceptable, and we have an exemption policy for religious and medical reasons,’’ she said.

Still, critics of the school district’s decision have said the rule is racist, sexist or both. Black people have long been discriminated against, ostracized or punished for hairstyles consistent with their natural hair textures, such as Afros or dreadlocks.

News of the suspension has attracted attention from national news outlets.

Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.; Gavin Newsom, the governor of California; and Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tweeted in support of DeAndre.

This week, DeAndre appeared on an episode of “The Ellen Show.”

“Every day I would go to school, I would always be in dress code,” he said during his appearance. “But the thing with them is, if it was let down, I would be out of dress code. If girls can have long hair, why can’t I have long hair?”

At a recent school board meeting, the public comments were dominated by debates over DeAndre’s suspension.

“This is a policy that’s rooted in racism,” said Ashton P. Woods, a civil rights activist from Houston who attended the meeting with DeAndre and his family.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/us/DeAndre-Arnold-dreadlocks.html?emc=rss&partner=rss