Texas School Has No Right to Force Native American Boy to Cut Hair
Officials at a Texas public school have no right to force a Native American elementary school student to cut his hair, which he wears long for religious reasons, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United today filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting student Adriel Arocha and his family. The family is challenging a grooming policy at the Needville Independent School District that bans long hair for male students.
“Public schools must never sponsor prayer or other religious activities,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “At the same time, they have an obligation to allow voluntary student religious expression that doesn’t interfere with the rights of others.
“Adriel’s decision to wear his hair long for religious reasons is a private expression of faith, and the school should respect that,” Lynn continued.
Needville’s policy does not allow boys to wear their hair past the collar or over the eyes. The Houston Chronicle reported last year that many rural school districts in Texas have similar rules.
Needville school officials met with Adriel’s family but refused to grant them a religious exemption to the policy. School officials did say Adriel could stuff his hair into his shirt, but the family said that was not enough.
A federal district court ruled in the family’s favor in January, but the school district has appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Americans United, which is joined on the brief by the Anti-Defamation League, is asking the 5th Circuit to uphold the lower court’s decision. The family is being represented by the Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Public school students have the right to engage in religious activities as long as they are not disruptive and don’t infringe on anyone else’s rights,” said Richard B. Katskee, assistant legal director of Americans United. “Adriel’s decision to wear long hair easily meets both of those tests.”
The case is A.A. v. Needville Independent School District.
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if parents want a good future for us kids then they need to let us be creative about our styles
I cannot believe that there are so many ignorant people! A Native has MORE rights than anyone. A small boy going to school and being segregated!!! I am so upset as I too have a 4 yrs old grandson with long hair that attends school. Thankfully NOT in Texas! We Natives are a proud people. This is so way out there....I can't believe the hurtful & hatred ways that this child and family is enduring. Shame on you!!!!!!!
Typical of how the White man treats the true founders of this country!
I would think out of respect for his Native American culture (never mind religious reasons) a school in America, whose government wasn’t so pleasant to Native Indians in the early years of the nation’s history, wouldn’t be making a fuss over the length of this child’s hair. Would this school tell a Muslim not to wear religious clothing? Or a Catholic not to wear a crucifix? Definitely not. If this child chooses to embrace his heritage (which may be tied in with religious beliefs) who is this school to say no? It’s frightening that these people are overseeing the education of America’s future.
Has the country gone mad? Schools not allowing certain hair lengths? This is ludicrous. I'd really like to know what type of people are running these schools and enforcing such asinine rules. These types of people should have no business being responsible for the youth of the country.
So here is the thing guys, Needville has always had a less lenient dress code than most other schools. It has been this way for years. What's wrong with having certain standards for your students? When looking at property to buy in Needville, I am sure that the family was warned about the Needville dress code.
So these people moved into Needville knowing full well the conflict that would occur. What actually happened was that the very same attorney who had previously lost the "T-shirt case," contacted the family when through their realtor. He had been looking for a new case ever since. Anyways he contacted them asking them to enroll their child in Needville. So wanting to make a big case for himself he set up this whole little ordeal and the he and the kid's parents, exploited the child for publicity.
Now, let me tell you how much bs the victory of the "Native American" family was. Firstly, in the state of Texas, a government unit is allowed to impose appearance related restrictions. But there is allowance for exemptions based on religious reasons. That's totally cool right? I think most states actually have this. Now here's where it gets interesting. The family claimed that it was of a religious purpose to have their sons hair so long. However, the father doesn't have long hair(Not really a major point, just worth noting) Now here's the good part. When asked about their religion and how it relates to the hair, the father stated that he wasn't A. Sure of what kind of Native American he was i.e. tribe. and B. that he couldn't really find any mention of it in his "religion" but that, and this was also quoted from his wife,"We just feel that his hair is sacred to us. It's so beautiful."
So that's it, THEY feel that his hair is beautiful and sacred to them. That makes it a personal belief, not a religion. Personal beliefs are excluded from protection by the state of Texas so as to how they won this case. You have my hat. In short THE AROCHA FAMILY EXPLOITED THE TERM NATIVE AMERICAN FOR THEIR OWN PUBLICITY. THIS WHOLE THING WAS NOT ABOUT RACISM BUT ABOUT PLAYING THE VICTIM.
Now here is the thing that most of you people who respond in this manner don't seem to understand. IT IS OKAY TO HAVE CERTAIN STANDARDS AND TO UPHOLD THEM. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEND TO SOMEONE ELSES BELIEFS IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THEM. Should the catholics say, "Oh yeah it's totally cool if you want to call yourself Catholic and worship Shiva, or if you believe that pentograms are an interdimensional portal to a place where pokemon actually live."
Should America have bent and said, "So you want to be a Nazi. Well by all means then impose a faschist regime here in the states too."(Admittedly that one is kind of out there). This is not discrimination by the school district, this is a school district defending its policy from somebody trying to force their own style upon them.
One final thing, if a person moves into a small community with it's own traditions and intends on breaking those traditions, insulting them, calling them rascist, and completely disrespecting them, who is really discriminating? Needville is a small town, a culture of their own. Who has the right to come in and take that right from them? Who is the real biggot when you insult this town over their beliefs?
PS just like we all thought, the hair did prove to be a disruption in the classroom and the poor kid had to cut it off because too many kids were pulling on it, the way that boys pull on girls hair occasionally.
In Canada, they forcibly cut the kid's hair. Seriously, in class, a teacher grabbed the kid, some scissors, and went to town.