Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union tell a Girard elementary school that their dress code violates federal law.

 The part of the dress code at issue states “Hair is not to touch the collar of a crew neck t-shirt, cover the eyebrows, or extend below the earlobes. Ponytails, rat tails, or any other style that would circumvent the policy are not permitted.” The policy only applies to boys.

In August, the policy was cited as the reason the school told an 8 year old Native American boy that he would need to cut his hair. The boy, who is a member of the Wyandotte Nation, attended a tribal gathering over the summer that inspired him to adopt the common cultural practice of cutting hair only when mourning the loss of a loved one. When his mother explained this to the school district, she was told there were no exemptions.

Girard Superintendent Todd Ferguson says that he is unable to discuss individual students due to confidentiality laws, but that the school board would review the dress code policy at the December school board meeting.