Ellen And Alicia Keys Give Suspended Student $20,000 For College And Plead For His Return To School

Feb 02, 2020 by apost team

At one time, boys had short hair and girls had long hair; however, that is all changing along with the times. Now, we frequently see girls that shave their heads and boys that opt to grow their locks out long and flowing.

DeAndre Arnold is one 18-year-old boy who has embraced the long-hair look, growing his dark hair out and putting it in dreadlocks. While this is a style that many people like, the Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas had a different opinion. Not only did the school disapprove but they also banned him from wearing his hair down!

That’s right. The high school says that his hair goes against their dress code policy so not only did they make him stop attending school but they also told him that he could only walk in the graduation ceremony unless his hair was cut or put up. “Our policy limits the length," the New York Post quotes the district’s superintendent as saying. "It’s been that way for 30 years.” DeAndre’s plight has drawn national attention and he was invited onto the Ellen DeGeneres Show where he received a lot of support.

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Ellen let him know that she was on his side and then issued a plea directly to the school, asking them to take DeAndre back – long hair and all. DeAndre has never been in trouble at school and is said to maintain good grades. The entire problem with the school is his long hair. DeAndre explains that he has always stayed within the dress code by keeping his hair up but, if he lets it down, he is instantly breaking the rules.

Ellen wasn’t the only one who stepped up to back DeAndre. Alicia Keys also made a surprise appearance with a large check for $20,000 that DeAndre is supposed to use toward furthering his education. Alicia said on the show that she was proud of him for “standing up for what you know is right”. These weren’t the first celebrities to step up and support DeAndre. He also got a shout-out from Deandre Hopkins, who said “Never cut your locks Deandre Arnold” in a message on Twitter.

As of now, we’re uncertain what will happen with DeAndre. If the school remains firm on their stance, he will have to either stay out of class or else face in-school suspension.

What do you think of this story? Is the school right to remain firm regarding their dress code? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.