Native American boy fights Texas school over hair cut

makes you think if the trouble is caused by people/adults in the school and not the kids in the play ground

It is a public school right? Only in Texas would this actually have to go to the courts.

who cares if his hair is long?! how is it harming the school?

"school officials told Adriel’s parents he would have to cut his hair according to terms in Needville ISD’s dress code."

In other news, that same ethnocentric school had no issues whatsoever with the many female students and staff members whose hair was as long or longer than the boy's.. .of course, that's because long hair on boys is teh icky, ewies! like, zomg!

if it's public, there shouldn't be any sort of dress code minus clothing that allows others to see your private pieces...

stupid. i hope they win

Really? What do they put in the water in Texas schools? Why does this country want to take away every right a parent has as far as parental guidance? The parents should decide whether that kid cuts his hair or not not a school and especially not a public school. A childs hair is not the same as his clothes. I was traumatized by my first hair cut because I didn't want it cut. Why should this child be forced to cut his hair? It's his person. It's not something he can undo when he gets home. Yet another reason to favor home schooling. Just a thought, is this the goal...get everyone to hate public school so either they pay privately or they homeschool forcing woman to stay home with their children? Just a thought because this kind of crap is ridiculous.

Amazing this is even an issue. Making boys cut their hair? Wow, that is so 1963. What is wrong with these people?

I could understand a religious/private school making such a demand, but a public school? Crazy.

more than 18,000 native children were sexualy abused by the federal government in "indian" schools from 1870-1970 alone. The practice continued essentialy uninterupted until 1990 and one principle alone was personaly responsible for abusing more than 150 boys according to Amnesty International.

I'd say after that amount of abuse from schools in America that people wishing to preserve thier native heritedge have earned the right to simply wear thier hair long. This is rediculous. The short hair is clearly a hold over from western religous precepts and stands contrary to the American constitutional ideal of freedom of religous expression and freedom of personal expression.

Can't he braid his hair in the back and pin it up?
Or what would they do if he shaved his head except for the middle(if that's acceptable in his tribe)
My son always pulls his back in a long group of black bands down the hair when at work or when he needs to. Shawnee men usually have long flowing hair(some shaved parts off though.)

them damn indgians are always trying to get a leg up on us white folk. that boy needs to cut his hair. he looks like a damn girl.

You know what, maybe his mom should home school him, he'd get a better education one on one anyway.
He'd have to do the same curriculum as at school and pass whatever the requirements were. I'm sure there are other kids in their area that home school. Parents that are experts at a subject would teach groups of the kids. Say for instance I could teach the health classes because I'm an RN... you get the picture.
Would save the kid and parent a lot of strife and money.

I had the same problem in the early 70s, but that was in a Catholic school. I did point out the picture of Jesus above the principles desk, with his long hair and beard, but they didn't see my point?

Ha! I was suspended repeatedly senior year for growing a goatee. Meanwhile, the skinheads were walking around screaming "Hail Hitler" undisturbed. Makes one wonder what the objective is...

I wonder how they feel about ear locks, bindis or yarmulkes. This was bound to happen. That it happens to be a native american practice is mere luck of the draw.

this MAYBE a result of decades of poliltical correctness that started during the 70's..i.e because some boys are too weak to participate in certain school ground activities..they banned playing certain school ground activities..because there are certain groups that cant seem to stop gangbanging anfd bringing in thier "colors" to school INSTEAD of dealing with them..the school just restrict everybody and establish school uniform..

where I am leading is that we lost our ability to be responsible..we are so scared to offend that HEY..we would cut of this boy's hair to "be fair" to others..

something to think about...

I thought that schools didn't have the right to intervene with religious matters.... Unless they were private.

Where in the Bible does it say boys must have short hair, and girls must have long hair and not wear pants?

Man I thought we fixed the hair thing in the sixties. WTF.

He should scalp the school superintendent.............

Yet another example of the backward thinking of the state of Texas.....I have been thinking about this theory for some time now...people who like country music tend to seek out country bars, hip hop lovers seek out hip hop clubs etc...I think it's the same way with states, the underachievers, the social misfits, religious nuts and wanna be ole time six gun slingin', tobacco chewin', injun hatin', ten gallon hat wearin folk tend to cluster together...for all those folks Texas is like the promise land...164 years of tradition and not a days worth of progress.

God we took everything away from the native Americans including their dignity, why and the hell should a kids long hair cause any trouble. Fire the ignorant school officials and get some one who is capable of educating the kids regardless of the length of hair. Stop the ignorance and arrogance. If the kids are clean and decent educate them and forget about the stupid rules. This is a good example of reverse education. Lets keep the people stupid and fighting each other, for the sake of the party. Hah

really.... Really?

In school suspension for a five-year-old. Classy. Also, we're training legions of other students to be as intolerant of people who's personal appearances vary from their own. Super classy.

This poor kid. Despite all the other issues involved, I just really loathe the he is subject to such intolerance at such a young age.

You have got to be kidding right? What right do they have to do this in a public school? This is why Texas is looked like an out of touch state. These stupid notions have no place in schools. Make him wear a uniform but to make him cut his hair is just overkill.