Outrage over Deandre Arnold, a senior, being prevented from walking across graduation stage in May unless he cuts his hair

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

A Texas school district is coming under fire for suspending a black prospective graduate over his refusal to cut his hair.

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Deandre Arnold, a senior, is being barred from walking across his graduation stage in May unless he cuts his dreadlocks.

Arnold points to his Caribbean heritage in defending his hairstyle. In Trinidad, where his father is from, men often wear long dreadlocks in professional and educational settings.

“I really like that part of Trinidadian culture,” he told local KPRC.

A public meeting on the issue, notably on the Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday earlier this week, sparked a storm of criticism and accusations of racism.

“The dress code is designed by white people for white people and is damaging to black bodies,” Ashton Woods, a Black Lives Matter activist, said in the meeting.

“This is a black and white issue,” added Gary Monroe, a local educator and activist. He added: “His family should not have to go through this. But I expect it from a board that has zero diversity.”

Monroe added the alumni association will take Arnold’s fight to federal court if the school district fails to resolve the issue.

The Barbers Hill independent school district school board in Mont Belvieu, Texas, is denying accusations of racial bias, telling KHOU that its dress code policy does not prohibit “any cornrow or any other method of wearing hair” but rather regulates length for males.

“It’s been that way for 30 years,” said superintendent Greg Poole. Critics, however, argue the policy actually changed shortly after Christmas break – just three months before Arnold’s graduation.

Arnold is receiving support from dreadlocked celebrities, including his namesake, Houston Texans star DeAndre Hopkins.

Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) Never cut your locks Deandre Arnold.

Federal regulations on black hairstyles are inconsistent. While a federal court ruled in 2016 that employers can legally fire employees or deny applicants for wearing dreadlocks, a ban on them was lifted in all branches of the US military after a four-year legal battle.

Several states have weighed legislation banning hair discrimination in the workforce and classroom. Known as the Crown Act, it protects against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles.

The Crown Act has passed in three states including California and New Jersey. Thirteen additional states are considering similar legislation.