But Williams’ locks grew to become a problem after the 17-year-old moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to East Bernard, 50 miles outdoors of Houston, Texas, in February. His new school’s gown code policy said that “braided hair or corn rows will not be allowed,” a policy that went towards his very sense of self.
“Once you cut that hair off, you cut off your line to your ancestors, you cut off your lineage, you cut off everything,” Williams’ mom, Desiree Bullock, mentioned. “And just it’s not an option … We don’t consider them dreadlocks because we don’t dread them we love them.”
The school’s pupil handbook, the place the district’s policy on hair is spelled out, states that “Boy’s hair may not extend below the eyebrows, below the tops of the ears or below a conventional standup shirt collar, and must not be more than one-inch difference in the length of the hair on the side to the length of the hair on top.”
Bullock informed CNN that having Williams change hairstyles to adjust to the policy isn’t an choice for both of them.
CNN obtained a copy of the handbook, which has been eliminated from the district’s web site. The handbook goes on to state that, “This includes but not limited to tall hair styles, side swept bang styles, and long hair dangling over shaved sides or shaved back of the head. This also includes mullets and mullets in the making. Braided hair or corn rows will not be allowed. No extremes in hair styles.”
CNN has made a number of makes an attempt to achieve East Bernard High School and East Bernard Independent School District for remark however has not heard again.
Bullock hoped that after assembly Williams in particular person, the school would permit some dispensation from the policy, however the school’s administration simply referred them again to the coed handbook for the gown code policy.
She then filed for a non secular exemption on behalf of her son with the district’s superintendent, nevertheless it was denied.
“The exemption request you filed has not been granted at this time,” Courtney Hudgins, East Bernard Independent School District’s Superintendent mentioned in an electronic mail response to Bullock. “Assuming the children can meet the dress code requirements, as well as all necessary paperwork for enrollment, they are welcome to enroll with our district registrar. Please contact the registrar to make an appointment for enrollment. If you have any specific questions regarding the dress code, please contact the campus principal.”
Bullock replied asking for clarification on how the district got here to its resolution, however has not heard again.
“East Bernard ISD’s hair policy is deeply discriminatory and needs to be changed,” Brian Klosterboer, lawyer for ACLU of Texas informed CNN in a assertion. “The policy contains explicit gender discrimination that recent court decisions have found to be unconstitutional and violate Title IX, and it also explicitly bans ‘braided hair or twisted rows/strands,’ which is a proxy for race discrimination and disproportionately harms Black students in the district.”
“I feel really sick to my stomach,” she mentioned. “I feel like (the district’s hair policy) needs to change, I feel like it’s horrible and I feel like it’s only toward African American children or people.”
Williams could be coming into his junior 12 months of high school, a pivotal 12 months for a lot of high school college students within the wake of school prep, Bullock mentioned, and feels dangerous as a result of he is lacking alternatives to run observe and get seen by scouts for faculty scholarships.
Hair discrimination in faculties stretches throughout the nation
The invoice now heads to the Senate, the place Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey is sponsoring the chamber’s model of the invoice.