TX Boy Can Go Back to Class with Long Hair, For Now
Wednesday October 15, 2008
This story really jumped out at me, because it struck me as one of those "school dress code gone bad" kind of tales. A Native American kindergartener in Texas was told by school officials that he had to cut his long hair before he could attend classes. The boy, and his parents, refused, saying that the child's hair is kept long for religious reasons. The child, Adriel Arocha, was removed from the classroom and taught in a one-on-one setting because he didn't comply "with a dress code exemption the school board granted him in August concerning his long hair... [Arocha] was to wear his long hair in a single braid and tuck it under his shirt when he attended school. But he refused to comply, wearing his hair in two braids outside his shirt." In a recent opinion, a federal judge granted a request that Arocha can be allowed to return to the classroom for now, with his hair loose and outside his shirt. Another hearing will be held later this month, to determine a permanent outcome on the ruling.
This is a shining example of WHY some school district dress codes can get out of hand. Often, when there are dress code lawsuits, they involve teenage boys with guyliner or girls with lip rings, and people are typically eager to say, "Oh, he/she is just trying to be a rebel/be difficult/get attention, he/she should just shut up and dress like the normal kids." Arocha is five. Probably the biggest trouble he's ever caused until now is not wanting to eat his green beans at dinner. His age seems to put the whole dress-code thing in far better perspective.
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything at all about Native American spirituality. I have no idea what tribe the Arocha family belongs to, nor do I know what particular mandate it is that says the child should wear his hair long. But I do know the kid was treated unfairly -- there was no rule saying girls couldn't have long, loose hair -- and I think the court made the right decision in letting the kid go back to class. What do you think? Is Arocho just trying to be disruptive and cause trouble, or do his parents have a valid religious discrimination complaint?
This is a shining example of WHY some school district dress codes can get out of hand. Often, when there are dress code lawsuits, they involve teenage boys with guyliner or girls with lip rings, and people are typically eager to say, "Oh, he/she is just trying to be a rebel/be difficult/get attention, he/she should just shut up and dress like the normal kids." Arocha is five. Probably the biggest trouble he's ever caused until now is not wanting to eat his green beans at dinner. His age seems to put the whole dress-code thing in far better perspective.
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything at all about Native American spirituality. I have no idea what tribe the Arocha family belongs to, nor do I know what particular mandate it is that says the child should wear his hair long. But I do know the kid was treated unfairly -- there was no rule saying girls couldn't have long, loose hair -- and I think the court made the right decision in letting the kid go back to class. What do you think? Is Arocho just trying to be disruptive and cause trouble, or do his parents have a valid religious discrimination complaint?
Comments
This is going too far. Of all non-christian cultures, you would think that a school would know a little something about Native people.
Even if they don’t know why as a people that they wear their hair long, at least they understand that its a common place thing.
Don’t know what tribe this boy is from, but some that do wear their hair long only cut it in times of mourning.
Flash back to the 1800s when Native boys where forced to cut their hair in order to “conform to standards”, aka, loose their identity as a people. I doubt that’s what’s going on here, just blantant ignorance probably, but leave him alone. If his parents want to raise him as a traditionalist, its their right to do so.
I completely agree with Ash. The parents can raise their boy however they want.
they should leave the child alone. after all girls can wear long loose hair.
there are many NA’s that dont cut their hair except in mourning, and some dont cut the childs hair until after the 6th birthday.
dress codes have gotten crazy.
this is just another example of how school is no longer about learning but about conforming.
I agree with what everyone had to say ..this goes to show that our belief (besides Christianity) seems to be losing there traditions and industrial rites ,And this is just a school and a five year old boy, whats next? Lord and lady Bless us all.. love and light Enchanted Zoe
Back when I went to school,… back in the 70’s and 80’s we where told t shirts with rock-n roll
stuff on them where forbidden.
and you couldn’t dye your hair different colors or have it cut or styled in the (punk styles) popular back then.
We did so anyway and didn’t care if we got sent home.
what ever happened to land of the FREE?
HUH?
this is so rediculous! That boy should be allowed to have his hair as long as he wants it and especialy since he is Native American.
When are these bozos ever going to learn…
this is a country for freedom, religion,peace.
not dictatorship,comunist,and conforming.
If they had their way we would all look like clones and have upc bars tatooed on our arms.
And that scares me to death!…This HAS GOT TO STOP.
Kids are there to learn ,yes but the freedom to be who you are and not what some else tells you to be is just as important.
I think they need to lighten up on this dress code stuff, all over the world.
people should be allowed to dress how ever they want long hair ,short hair
(((( WHO CARES )))))?????
lIGHTEN UP!!!!
THIS IS A FREE COUNTRY
And We should be allowed to be who we are no matter how we dress or wear our hair!
)
Lord and lady please forgive them.
Love and light.
Wishingstar.
I agree wholeheartedly that his hair is his, and his parents’, business and go further in stating that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with age, sex, culture, religion, or any other societal construct. It is simply a matter of the dress code itself. Either hair can be worn long and loose, or it can’t. PERIOD.
Sigh.
This poor child is not a factory worker, where long, loose hair might get caught in equipment and prove a health hazard. He’s five. FIVE.
Look, I understand that there are trends in public education to give children a uniform (pun intended) look to discourage references to gangs, reduce stress that goes along with having to wear the newest fashions, etc. But this is ridiculous.
By the same token, religious rights are going to continue to clash with established methods due to other concerns. In particular, I’m thinking of the unrest in France where the secular school system is so concerned with uniformity that Muslim girls fight to wear head scarves. In some areas, Muslim dress may also be considered a safety issue because weapons — all too prevalent in schools these days — can easily be hidden under scarves or full-coverage garments. The same can be said for Sikhs who wear turbans (and who also grow their hair long for religious purposes).
Wish I knew the answer, but I’m afraid it’s an issue that will be a long time in resolving.
I saw this story on another internet forum when it first broke. The dress-code is not only culturally oppressive but racist as well, basically discriminating against everyone who possesses non-Caucasian hair. They’ve outlawed most hairstyles that are kinder to kinky, coily African-American hair. The only choices Black children seem to have are to have TWAs (teeny-weeny afros) or to straighten their hair.
Dress codes can be utterly asinine.
Example: I grew up in a more-or-less rural area of Ohio. The school board, in its infinite stupidity, declared that jeans were verboten - in the 70’s no less!
Well, THAT bit of nonsense went RIGHT out the window when, of ALL people, the principal showed up for work one day in a three-piece DENIM suit!
Perhaps if school officials spent as much time worrying about the mental and emotional development of our children as they do worrying about their physical appearances, the US would not be so far below other industrialized nations in subjects like math, science and geography.
Well, Needville isn’t that far away from where I live, so I saw it on the evening news when the story first broke. For those not in the know - Needville is a farming community southwest of Houston, far enough away that there is a predominance of well - country folks, I guess that’s the nicest way of saying it. Jeff Foxworthy made being a Redneck something to potentially be proud of. They really don’t know anything about Native American belief, nor do they really want to. I’m glad that he is getting to wear his hair in the form that is appropriate for his beliefs.
As for dress codes, I noticed that someone mentioned that they wanted to ban jeans when they were growing up. I have an even better one for you - when I was in elementary school - girls were not allowed to wear pants to school. Talk about unfair. The boys didn’t have to freeze their legs off in the winter and we did. Things changed for the better as I got older, but things can go backward as well. For those that complain about non-religious aspects of a dress code, just remember how far things have come, and appreciate what your elders went through for you to be able to wear some of the things that you can today. Don’t push things too far, and get to keep what you already have.
Celtic Joe really hit it on the head! Our schools should worry more about htre emotional and mental health of our children and allow for them to feel safe and secure in thier environment and in themselves! The whole issue of hair is ‘assinine’. Being that he is 5 makes it just downright moronic! He has now experienced rejection from those he should have experienced trust with ( school officials) over his hair. May this boy know the beauty of his existance as he is and chooses to be and may the school officials regognize and all involved in the school system, recognize and embrace this same truth~ of being perfectly and wonderful made with creation.
C. Lynes
The wasicu will never understand our ways… no matter what tribe, they will never understand our ways and our connection with who we are, what we believe, our love of Nature and Wakan Tanka, and one another. The only thing they know is to try to conform us and everyone else who doesn’t fit their beliefs and ideas. As much as they say “Peace Brother and Sister” what they really mean is “Peace Brother and Sister, our way.” Not all wasicu think and feel this way, but why can they not realize that we are all loving our Creators, in our own way. Why is their way and their Creator better or different than ours? Isn’t it all the same?
there I was thinking the schools priority would be education. Silly me. Seems to me if the child wants to learn his hair shouldn’t be an issue. Whats next the colour of a childs hair?
i think if the boy wants his hair long then no one has the right to tell him he has to cut it.
i dont even think the whole religious thing should play a part either way.
the last time i checked this was america where we have freedom of speech and expression i think maybe there is a little racial discrimination going on there
If I were part of the TX school board administrator, oversight for the next meeting, and the “worry” of hair length came across my desk, I would throw it out, and the fool who put it there.
Schools have more to worry about, like funding, new books, counclers(sp?) for kids with a crappy home life, weapons, illegal drugs, hazing, and control and prevention of diseases the kids might bring with them, like lice.
HAIR!?!?! If this is what the school finds important, where do I donate a dollar so they can home school the little dude with some ACTUAL values, like, Tribal ones?
-Rafe, crying for the greased slope off the cliff America seems to be on.
The school practice of allowing girls to wear long hair and not boys is completely discriminating. Why is a boy’s long hair deemed more distracting than a girl’s? I have not had to deal with this issue yet as my 6-year-old son has short hair. When he decides to grow it long, I will support him in that. I do not think religious beliefs should have to be a defense for those boys who want to wear their hair long. The same goes for boys who want to wear earrings. I thought this was a free country where people had the right to make these kinds of decisions for themselves. Thanks Patti for all of the information you provide.
Janetaba said it all when she mentioned that the town he lived in is small. I also live in a small agriculture community but in Arizona and our problems of this nature stem from the church. The leaders are so full of themselves that they think their power over people should extend to the entire community, not just the people who follow their religion. If someone is different or doesn’t agree with their way of thinking, they will do everything they can to change them into the mindless clones their own people have become.
More power to this young man and his family. I will include them in my prayers and energy rituals to the Goddess.
Eileen
This is the year 2008 and still the native american people are being singled out. I am proud of the fact the boy is sticking to his beliefs and fighting for his right to keep his hair long. This nation gives others the right to ware their native clothing from other countires, but still denies the rights of native americans to do the same.
Many Native American/Tribal traditions teach that the cutting of the hair is a sign of mourning the death of a beloved family or friend. To cut his hair is a violation of his rights. No one has that right. Plus it’s just as it was in History where they MADE them cut their hair to be more ‘European’ and take away their culture. Leave him alone, and anyone else who does it for religious purposes.
OH, janetaba, I remember those days well!! Putting on 3 or 4 pairs of tights just to keep from shivering in class!
I worked as a substitute teacher when my boys were in school. I found that the kids weren’t in the least distracted by the actuality of “uniqueness”, but were distracted by “oooooo, just wait til Ms.? sees that! You are so busted!”. Teachers, parents, school officials, volunteers, etc.; those were the people who were distracted!
This was in the 90’s when teenage boys who wanted attention started wearing the “sag” look to school. The school board had a police official come in to tell us what to look for to be forewarned of gang activity. He also “warned” us that confronting these kids could be dangerous and that individual parents AND TEACHERS should allow the school counselor of principle to deal with such issues. Yeah right. I drove a carpool with 8 kids. 4 of whom regularly wore the sag look. They all knew and respected that they wouldn’t be allowed in my suburban unless they pulled their britches up. No big deal, no argument. When I subbed, the boys would all go get the belts they kept in their lockers for just such occasions and would put them on before entering class, and remove them just after leaving. Why me? Because I gave them respect, and expected the same in return. I never talked down to them, I would honestly ask how they were, and really LISTEN to their answers.
What does this have to do with the 5 year old? It’s exactly the same thing. Respect. Make just rules and apply them across the board. I fought the no earrings on boys rule at their school - if girls could, boys could. I don’t mind obeying the rules, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to back down from any form of discrimination.
Religious or not, it is discrimination. If the females can wear their hair long (and loose) then the boy should be able to do the same.
I am guessing that it is a public school and not a private school…If it was a private school the boy was attending, the parents knew about the rule upon enrollment and should follow the rules or find another school.
Among my mother’s people, long hair is strength, just like Samson in the Bible. To cut one’s hair is to steal their Spririt, their Pride, and their Strength. I think the school knows EXACTLY what it’s doing: trying to destroy the Spirit, Strength and Pride of a Native American.
As in most of the Native cultures in the USA,we have to deal with the”Haole” thinking as we did with the early missionaries. White way was right and Christ was the only GOD. Again our right to worship as we believe is still discriminated. Leave my Native Brothers and Sisters alone.
It sounds to me more a matter of ignorance than religious discrimination. He was probably getting a better education with one on one schooling than his classmates. I do wonder that any school can provide a teacher for one student when so many cannot provide enough teachers for the classed they have.
Janetaba, do I remember the days. I made it all the way to Jr. High before pants were allowed. Too bad that long skirts were neither allowed nor fashionalbe at the time. We wore our skirts to the knee for warmth until spring and summer. Then they had to get out the ruler. Remember the length issue too.
As for Adriel’s hair, this also takes me back. To the the 60s when male hairlength was a big deal then too. I lived in Lake Havasu, AZ. We had a large hippie population who wore their hair long too. When their kids came to school the hair length was a problem. It is not an issue only for those of tribal religions. If Adriel were white, would there be so much publicity about it? Would you all do quite so indignant? Be honest. Does his ethnicity make it more offencive? Ignore his race. This is about his rights not his religion. If my son decides to not cut his hair then that is what will happen. School boards not withstanding. And I will expect the same support from you then.
Personally, race has no impact on my opinion. As I said before, make just rules and apply them across the board. There shouldn’t be seperate rules for different genders or races or anything else.
They have taken from the Native Americans for so long they are used to the prejudice. We need to back this family up for religious rights and should have done so years ago. Read the bible about Sampson do you think his worship was any less because of the length of his hair. Freedom of Religion people it never said only whites had this right!!
OK, there are several things going on here, the 5 year old probably doesn’t care about the religious part, we all know that’s mom and dad making a statement, which is ok by me. I make them myself. and you guys are already discussing the in-equallity of female/male hairstyles. but isolating him from his peers was unkund, and it drew attention to the issue for the students that they were trying “shield”.. lol …..
I don’t care what tribe the child is from he should be allowed to wear it according to belifes. My uncle in New Zealand who was told he was a Maori wore his hair long up until he went into nursing then found his biological parents. New Zealand schools have extremely strict dress codes they told him to wear it in a bow if he was going to look like a girl and he did just to thumb his nose at them.
I do NOT agree with dress codes when it comes to how short or long ones hair is. When I myself was in school they made dress codes up because I would dye my hair unnatrual colours and wore spiked collars to school. This just goes to prove that the schools are once again getting out of hand and need to put a reign on them.
Schooling takes 13 years because that is the time required to break a child’s spirit. Today, a child won back a piece of his spirit from the Machine. Let us hope he’s now wisely learned it’s tricks and gives it distance for the rest of his life, so he can grow up and be an individual.
Sigh, unfortunately stupidity is not limited to “rednecks”…I’m in So Cal. A friend of mine is originally from Hawaii. Her little boy is in kindergarten. He made the “hang loose” sign for a school picture. His teacher said he was making gang signs. She wanted to suspend him. Made me shake my head and wonder what cave she’d been living in…
Kudos to the boy and his family for fighting for his rights.
Ok… where I attend school is it against the Student Code of Conduct to disscriminate against such a claim of violation. If it is under religious standards, then they have no right to ask him to do such a thing. I don’t understand why humans have to be so damn difficult these days… perhaps it’s because many people are blind to the fact that anything religious is exepmt from the normal codes? It would help to know their regulations on student appearence in their code of conduct… and Texas of all places…. Please. Someone over there needs to wake up and smell the coffey.