Family: Girl told to leave school due to hairstyle

August 22, 2018

Video shows a Louisiana girl crying as she left school. Her family says she was forced to leave because her braided hair extensions violate the dress code.

Facebook/Steven Evergreen Fennidy

A girl from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, says she was forced to leave school on Monday because of her braided hair extensions. Steven Evergreen Fennidy wrote in a viral Facebook post that his little sister, Faith, cried when she was sent home for her hair style.

Fennidy took video of his sister sobbing at school, while family members are heard speaking to teachers about the policy. The older brother calls the school’s policy on hair a “barrier to entry for black people,” and he accused the school of “sneakily” adding the rule to its handbook this year.

I hate that I have to post this. But this just isn’t right. This is an issue we tried to resolve with the school, but they won’t compromise at all. My sister Faith and many little black girls wear extensions. She’s been attending this school for two years and wearing extensions. Over the summer the school has sneakily added in a policy, that no extensions, clip-ins or weaves are allowed. Faith got a notice on the first day of class and it’s ridiculous that these schools that we are PAYING for, will go in and make policies without consulting or trying to figure out how this will affect your life or your child’s life. Extensions make the hair easier to maintain. It allows my sister to have access to the swimming pool without having to get her hair Re-done every night. How do you make a policy without even having a discussion. It’s because you don’t care and it’s just one more barrier to entry for black people. This decision is going to affect black children more than white children. Please share this video. All the principal could say was, “They’re swinging it and things like that…” My entire middle and high school career I was in private school I sat behind a million white girls who would play in their hair. Re-do their pony tails a million times a day. Nothing was ever said. She kept saying the issue is it’s not their natural hair. It’s a style that we are not allowing. It’s not uniform. WOW. This is Christ The King Middle School in Gretna, Louisiana. This has all just been very upsetting.

Posted by Steven Evergreen Fennidy on Monday, August 20, 2018

Christ the King Elementary School said parents were notified about the policy change during the summer and on the first day of school, CBS affiliate WWL-TV reports.

“Archdiocese of New Orleans schools develop policies appropriate for their respective schools. Christ the King Elementary School has a policy that states: ‘Boys and Girls: Only the students’ natural hair is permitted.’ This policy was communicated to all parents during the summer and again before the first day of school, and was applied to all students. Furthermore, the school leadership worked with families as needed to ensure compliance,” Archdiocese of New Orleans Superintendent RaeNell Houston said in a statement, WWL-TV reports.

“As relates to the student in question, the school offered the student’s family an opportunity to comply with the uniform and dress policy and the family chose to withdraw the student; the student was not suspended or expelled,” the statement continued. “We remain committed to being a welcoming school community that celebrates our unity and diversity.”

Faith’s family members spoke to WWL-TV and said they were not notified about the change. The girl’s family added that she attended a parent-teacher meet-and-greet before classes started and administrators did not tell her that her hair was against school policy.

On Monday, Faith’s family said they planned to meet with an attorney and file a discrimination lawsuit against the school.

Fennidy’s video of his little sister leaving school received two million views on Facebook. “This is an issue we tried to resolve with the school, but they won’t compromise at all. My sister Faith and many little black girls wear extensions,” Fennidy wrote. “Extensions make the hair easier to maintain … How do you make a policy without even having a discussion. It’s because you don’t care and it’s just one more barrier to entry for black people. This decision is going to affect black children more than white children.”

Rapper T.I. shared the video on his own social media account on Monday and called school “deplorable.” The video received over half a million views on his Instagram.