Outrage As Texas School District Prohibits Boys From Having Long Hair

Oct 25, 2021 by apost team

A Texas school district has banned boys from having long hair, prompting seven students to sue for their right to keep their long locks. The Magnolia Independent School District serves around 13,000 students in an area about 40 miles northwest of Houston. After multiple students refused to cut their hair, some of them were doled out punishments, which have been detailed in the lawsuit that was filed last week by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU).

One plaintiff, a 9-year-old boy who is only known as AC in legal documents, was allegedly penalized when he refused to cut his long hair short, prompting the school to put him on a month-long suspension. He was also barred from going out for recess and normal lunch breaks, as well as being banned from the school campus. Meanwhile, the boy, who is Latino, has reasons for wearing his hair long that are linked to his family's heritage, which includes his father and uncle sporting similar hairstyles. 

Another student, who is 11-years-old and identified as TM in the lawsuit, is non-binary and their long hair is a "critical component" of how they express their gender, as reported by the BBC.

In all, seven students aged between 7 and 17 are taking part in the lawsuit as they believe the ban is centered on unfair gender-based stereotypes, which violates their constitutional rights.

Furthermore, they claim that the rule is being used against some students while others have stayed under the radar. They add that the ban has caused "immense and irreparable harm."

According to the handbook of the Magnolia Independent School District, hair on male students must be "no longer than the bottom of a dress shirt collar, bottom of the ear, and out of the eyes," the Independent reports. There is also a gender-based rule for earrings, with the handbook stating:

 "Earrings may be worn only by girls. Earrings worn by boys will be confiscated and may not be returned to the student."

Facial hair is also taken into account in the rules, where it stipulates that "no beards or mustaches of any style are allowed on students. Sideburns may not be longer than the bottom of the ear."

Back in August, officials from the school district defended the dress code, telling KPRC:

"Magnolia ISD has used a dress code that sets different standards for boys and girls for many years. For example, hair length for boys must be no longer than the bottom of the collar."

They added that the rule "has been approved by the Texas courts and continues to be used by roughly half the districts in the state of Texas." They also said that the rule doesn't violate Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits gender-based discrimination in schools, stating:

"The differentiated dress and grooming standards do not violate Title IX and are included in the student handbook each year. Magnolia ISD’s approach to the dress code reflects the values of our community at large."

The BBC reports that parents of students with long hair are speaking out on behalf of their children, with one parent Stanley Burkhead stating in a board meeting in August:

"This rule is a complete and utter dinosaur. Who are we to tell him who he can't be? Who are we to tell him what a boy should look like?" 

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What do you think about the ban on boys having long hair? Let us know and pass this on to those you know so they can weigh in too.