Kansas School Forces Native American Boy to Cut Hair, ACLU Intervenes

The ACLU alleges the school's policy violates federal and state laws, and has requested a policy review.

An 8-year-old Native American boy in Kansas was forced to cut his hair to comply with his elementary school’s hair policy, according to the Kansas American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The boy is a member of the Wyandotte Nation, a federally recognized Native American Tribe, and many men in the tribe only cut their hair when mourning the loss of a loved one.
The ACLU has accused the school of violating the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The school’s assistant principal sent an email to the boy’s mother saying the boy’s hair had to be cut, 'or he will be sent home,' the ACLU said in its letter.
Girard USD Superintendent Todd Ferguson said the district will review the policy and the ACLU has requested a response from district officials by Dec. 1.