Long-Haired Boy Denied Entry Into Kindergarten

Long-Haired Boy Denied Entry Into Kindergarten

www.click2houston.com

A Houston-area school board will decide if a boy's long hair should keep him from attending school after a superintendent denied the request, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

The Needville Independent School District said 5-year-old Adriel Arocha's long locks violate school rules.

Adriel's parents said long hair is a sacred tradition in their Native American culture.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Talk about cultural ignorance and disrespect. The father provided a DNA test to prove that he is Native American. Should he have to?

Because his culture / religion was not in text, and verbally passed down they may not let his son into school, because he has no hard evidence to show the school board.


www.click2houston.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

It's just a control measure.

Like lots of private christian schools make boys have short hair and shave, but if Jesus returned, I doubt they'd have the balls to tell him to.

[edit on 17/7/08 by NuclearPaul]

I honestly don't see the issue with kids in Kindergarten wearing long hair.


Why is this part of a dress code anyway?

When I was school we wore our hair whatever way we wanted. You know why norms occured? Because people wouldn't wear hair that would get them laughed at, unless they wanted to be laughed at.


This is crazy

Waint a minute wait a minute wait a minute ....... what friggen year is this?

Bassackwards damn school & district.

I surely hope the dad sticks with his roots.

Edit to add:

I just sent the following to Superintendent Curtis Rhodes:

Subject: Policy & Procedure

Sometimes, it's simply the time to change policy.

Long hair vs 2008?
Are you serious?

Short is simple for emails.
Like this one.

Peace,

*removed*


[edit on 17/7/08 by Misfit]

There is no way the parents are going to make the kid cut his hair. I wonder if they can sue for discrimination....

So lame.....well...it is Texas after all

Holy moley! We share the same avatar! Time for a new avatar, I guess.

In a lawsuit, the school would lose this case, because it can't trump religious laws.

If having long hair causes a distraction, then how does any girl make it through school?

The parents should sue to force that school district to pay for tutors and force home schooling for the child on the district. I bet that would get the fools on that board to pucker they're butts a bit. If he can't report to school because if his religious beliefs it should be the boards responsibility to educate him in the home.

Zindo

reply to post by Misfit


Is it against T&C to post his email here, or possibly the school's email?
Because I'm sure there's hundreds of ATS users that would love to give
them a piece of their mind, myself included.

I just saw this on CNN, and some of the local opponents were afraid
if they changed the rules for this situation, who knows what other
"bad things" might happen... COME ON!

Stories like these really don't help my ever-declining faith in the human race.

That is absolutely ridiculous, i hope the parents stick to their principles and win.... i know a child that was excluded/removed from school for having a single braid in her hair after returning from holiday.... crazy

I gather from the article that this is a public school...if it is, then this is crazy...the school should have NO say in how a parent wants a child to have his/her hair. What next, lesbian girls with crew cuts are to be expelled?

If its a private school...then I have no issue with them saying no to him...its THEIR school then..run it how you choose...

Originally posted by DJMessiah

In a lawsuit, the school would lose this case, because it can't trump religious laws.

But that's just it! There is nothing written to prove that it is within the boys religion. "The law" needs written word showing it to be a religious symbol. Indians don't have books, they have stories. It's been that way forever. The school and/or distric is simply being assheaded to not change this ridiculous protocol, if based on nothing else other than the pure nation-wide common knowledge white dudes have known since THEY were boys in kindergarten that Indians have long hair !!!!!

God almighty damn these suits and their insane policies and protocols and laws and bylaws and article 312.b subparagraph 712 crap - get with life !!!

Wow, he can legally eat peyote, unlike most of us, but can't have long hair?

What I want to know is, has the school established a "maximum length" for it's students hair? Do they expect us to believe that there's no girls at this school with long hair?

Sounds to me like someone was searching for an excuse not to let this boy into the school.

As much as I dont agree with the rule, this is nothing new.

I went to PUBLIC high school in Texas in the 80s....and boys were not allowed to have hair past their colar, nor were any odd hairstyles allowed (IE. blue, mohawks, etc).

We also had strict dress code: no band tshirts, no shorts.

Again, as much as I dont agree with it.....nothing new.

Great avatar DJMessiah!

The school should have included culture and religion exceptions to the policies in the first place.

I do hope they get in to the school. Watch the video, they are very nice and polite about the whole issue, but willing to fight to the end.

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
As much as I dont agree with the rule, this is nothing new.

I went to PUBLIC high school in Texas in the 80s....and boys were not allowed to have hair past their colar, nor were any odd hairstyles allowed (IE. blue, mohawks, etc).

We also had strict dress code: no band tshirts, no shorts.

Again, as much as I dont agree with it.....nothing new.

I must agree. But most of that could be considered a fad/self expression, quite far from culture/religion , in this case.

reply to post by Cyprex


I agree with you too There is a whole laundry list of why I would fear putting kids in public schools now

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
I agree with you too

There is a whole laundry list of why I would fear putting kids in public schools now

Leo, it might surprise you to know that many private schools are as bad, if not worse than public schools. At least this is the case in Australia.

Trust me, I know.

I'm not sending my children to a private school.

If the truth be told, the whole education system is one of control, control and more control. It's social conditioning over a thirteen year period, that's designed to crush any independent spirit in children and make them realise that they need a job to earn their money to pay their bills and taxes.

I love reading stories about school drop-outs who make it big BIG time. I bet they wore their hair however they chose to!

Originally posted by Cyprex


Talk about cultural ignorance and disrespect. The father provided a DNA test to prove that he is Native American. Should he have to?

www.click2houston.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

simple, to the point and right on!! more parents need to start standing up to the schools and showing them WHO the real parents are!! quit trying to make us make our kids all conform to YOUR ideals of what you think they should be.

if my children's school steps out of line w/ me, you bet your sweet arse i will pull them out and school them myself. teach them reading, writing, english, math, science, and THE TRUTH about history. all else is not needed and not wanted!!!

reply to post by Misfit


It does deal with religion because a similar case occurred on behalf of a Native American inmate in 2004, filed by the ACLU.

ACLU Files Religious Liberty Lawsuit on Behalf of Native American Who Refuses to Cut Hair

[edit on 17-7-2008 by DJMessiah]