Seven students are suing a Texas school district over its dress-code policy banning boys from having long hair.
School officials suspended a 9-year-old boy for a month, barred him from recess and normal lunch breaks as punishment for long hair, the lawsuit claimed.
He and the other students, aged 7 to 17, say the policy violates the constitution and Title IX - a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination.The school district said on Thursday it was reviewing the lawsuit.
Magnolia Independent School District “respects varying viewpoints, and we respect the rights of citizens to advocate for change,” spokeswoman Denise Meyers said in an email to US media. The district, which serves roughly 13,000 students about 40 miles (64km) northwest of Houston, did not return a request for comment from the BBC.
According to its dress code policy, boys cannot wear their hair over their eyes, past the bottom of their ears, or past the bottom of a dress shirt collar. Facing backlash this summer, Magnolia defended the policy, saying it “reflects the values of our community at large”. - BBC