- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Last week, The Girard School District Board of Education removed a district dress code policy that stipulates boys’ hair cannot “touch the collar of a crew neck t-shirt … or extend below the earlobes.”
The vote came after school administrators violated an eight-year-old Native American boy’s cultural and religious freedoms this September when they required him to cut his long hair to conform to school policy.
Make A Donation Here
The boy, a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, had been growing his hair for more than a year after seeing tribal men wear their hair long at the Nation’s annual gathering of the Little Turtles, according to the letter the ACLU sent Girard School District administrators on November 17. The boy was attending Haderlein Elementary School in Girard, Kansas.
The boy’s mother learned of the school’s “Boy’s hair length” policy in August 2023 and visited the school the following month to request an exemption for her son “because of his Native American heritage and spiritual beliefs,” according to the ACLU. The school’s policy forbids boys, but not girls, from wearing their hair long.
On September 23, 2023, Haderlein Elementary School Assistant Principal Joni Benso emailed the student’s mother, informing her that if her child’s hair was not cut by the following Monday, “he would be sent home.”
According to the ACLU, after seeking a religious exemption to the policy and attempting to contact the district supervisor, the boy’s mother cut his hair out of fear that her son would be suspended.
The ACLU released a statement on Friday stating the school board took the correct action in updating the dress code policy.
“Sex-based appearance codes reflect and reinforce harmful sex stereotypes, disproportionately discriminate against students of color — in particular by imposing cultural and religious harm, and have nothing to do with a student’s ability to learn,” the statement read.
“Corrective action such as this is part of how we move forward from that painful legacy. Kansas schools should proactively review their policies to ensure no other child is forced to cut his hair to attend school again.”
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Federal Court Dismisses Challenge to NY Indigenous Mascot Ban
Sen. Angus King Warns of ‘Whitewashing’ History in National Parks Under Trump Administration
Final Call for Donations as CRYP’s 2025 Toy Drive Nears the Finish Line
Help us defend tribal sovereignty.
At Native News Online, our mission is rooted in telling the stories that strengthen sovereignty and uplift Indigenous voices — not just at year’s end, but every single day.
Because of your generosity last year, we were able to keep our reporters on the ground in tribal communities, at national gatherings and in the halls of Congress — covering the issues that matter most to Indian Country: sovereignty, culture, education, health and economic opportunity.
That support sustained us through a tough year in 2025. Now, as we look to the year ahead, we need your help right now to ensure warrior journalism remains strong — reporting that defends tribal sovereignty, amplifies Native truth, and holds power accountable.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Your support keeps Native voices heard, Native stories told and Native sovereignty defended.
Stand with Warrior Journalism today.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
