SETTLER RACISM WHY WE NEED CRT
State-Funded Charter School Says Native 1st-Grader's Traditional Hair Violates Dress CodeDUTY TO ACCOMODATE
Levi Rickert and Neely Bardwell
Fri, March 24, 2023
Calling his braid “faddish,” six-year-old Logan Lomboy’s parents were told he has to have his hair cut. (Photo/Ashley Lomboy)
A North Carolina Native American family is fighting against a state-funded charter school’s demand that their first-grade boy gets his hair cut. The school system recently changed its dress and grooming code to define a boy wearing his hair in a bun or braids as “faddish.”
The Lomboy family are members of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe, one of North Carolina’s eight state-recognized tribes. The young boy’s mother, Ashley Lomboy, told Native News Online on Friday that her son, Logan, is embracing the Native American culture through being a powwow dancer and growing his hair — which extends beyond his shoulders —in a traditional way that dates back to how tribal ancestors. Logan has been a student at Classical Charter School - Leland in Leland, NC, for about 18 months.
He attended kindergarten there and is now enrolled in the first grade. The school’s policy was that boys’ hair had to be neat and above the collar. His mother said she puts his hair in a bun to comply with the dress and grooming standards of the school.-
The school is owned by its parent company Classical Charters of America, which owns three other schools in North Carolina.Classical Charters of America operates schools in Southport, Whiteville and Wilmington, NC, serving more than 2,500 students. The schools are managed by The Roger Bacon Academy, based in Leland.
According to Logan’s mother, who works for her tribe developing a STEM program, there has been a change in the school’s dress and grooming standard that the Lomboys became aware of on February 20, 2023. That day, as Logan’s father dropped off his two sons at school when a school official verbally told him Logan’s hair needed to be cut due to a change in policy. The official said the school system redefined the word “fad” to include boys’ hair being put in buns or being braided.
The next day, Ashley contacted the school official to seek a waiver to allow Logan to keep his hair length; she was told she had to fill out a grievance form. She complied with the request but has received two denials from the school stating Logan must get his hair cut.
Ashley also told Native News Online that Logan has an 8-year-old brother who chooses to keep his hair short. She said as a family they allow each child to choose how much of their Native culture they want to embrace.
However, in Logan’s case, Ashley said she compares what is happening now by the school system to what has happened to Native Americans historically when the culture was taken, tribal people were moved and ostracized.
“Logan’s hair is an extension of who he is,” Ashley said. “Without his hair, he will lose part of himself and a critical aspect of his heritage. Native Americans have been wearing their hair long since time immemorial. The Waccamaw Siouan Tribe has and continues to steward the land Classical Charter Schools of Leland currently occupies and all the surrounding land of the Cape Fear region for more than 1,000 years. The school’s dismissal of Logan’s identity and our tribal customs is needless, unfair, and deeply offensive to who we are and who our tribe has always been.”
The Waccamaw Siouan Indians Tribe, based in Bolton, NC, sent a letter on behalf of the Lomboy family stating the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe is a sovereign nation with its own unique cultural traditions, including the significance of long hair. The act of cutting one’s hair without proper reason and ceremony is a violation of our beliefs and customs.
“We urge you to make an exception for Logan and any other Native American children who wish to keep their long hair as an expression of their cultural identity,” Waccamaw Siouan Indians Triba; Chair Terry Mitchell wrote in a letter to the school system. “It is important to respect and honor the cultural practices and beliefs of Native American communities, especially when they involve sacred aspects such as keeping our hair long.”
In addition to getting tribal support, Ashley solicited the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The national ACLU and the ACLU of North Carolina issued a statement on March 20, 2023, that stated demanding that Logan cut his hair is in violation of his religious and cultural beliefs, and that Classical Charter Schools of Leland, as a public charter school and recipient of federal education funds, appears to be in violation of the North Carolina Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Two days later, the school system issued a statement on March 20, 2023, pushing back on the actions of the ACLU by calling the organization’s charges “trumped up charges of discrimination.”
“The ACLU seems more interested in creating controversy than resolving it,” said Baker A. Mitchell, President and CEO of The Roger Bacon Academy, which manages the four CCS-A charter schools. “Our schools have procedures for dealing with matters such as these. A review is underway and will be considered by the Board on April 27.
Instead of respecting the process, the ACLU has jumped in with threats and accusations that drive people apart rather than bring them together.”
A call to The Roger Bacon Academy from Native News Online was not returned by press time. The school system has another case involving a Lumbee boy student in the same situation with similar circumstances that will be dealt with on April 27, 2023, as well.
In the meantime, Logan Lomboy can return to school without having to cut his hair, pending a decision on April 27, 2023.
About the Author: "Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Levi Rickert and Neely Bardwell
Fri, March 24, 2023
Calling his braid “faddish,” six-year-old Logan Lomboy’s parents were told he has to have his hair cut. (Photo/Ashley Lomboy)
A North Carolina Native American family is fighting against a state-funded charter school’s demand that their first-grade boy gets his hair cut. The school system recently changed its dress and grooming code to define a boy wearing his hair in a bun or braids as “faddish.”
The Lomboy family are members of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe, one of North Carolina’s eight state-recognized tribes. The young boy’s mother, Ashley Lomboy, told Native News Online on Friday that her son, Logan, is embracing the Native American culture through being a powwow dancer and growing his hair — which extends beyond his shoulders —in a traditional way that dates back to how tribal ancestors. Logan has been a student at Classical Charter School - Leland in Leland, NC, for about 18 months.
He attended kindergarten there and is now enrolled in the first grade. The school’s policy was that boys’ hair had to be neat and above the collar. His mother said she puts his hair in a bun to comply with the dress and grooming standards of the school.-
The school is owned by its parent company Classical Charters of America, which owns three other schools in North Carolina.Classical Charters of America operates schools in Southport, Whiteville and Wilmington, NC, serving more than 2,500 students. The schools are managed by The Roger Bacon Academy, based in Leland.
According to Logan’s mother, who works for her tribe developing a STEM program, there has been a change in the school’s dress and grooming standard that the Lomboys became aware of on February 20, 2023. That day, as Logan’s father dropped off his two sons at school when a school official verbally told him Logan’s hair needed to be cut due to a change in policy. The official said the school system redefined the word “fad” to include boys’ hair being put in buns or being braided.
The next day, Ashley contacted the school official to seek a waiver to allow Logan to keep his hair length; she was told she had to fill out a grievance form. She complied with the request but has received two denials from the school stating Logan must get his hair cut.
Ashley also told Native News Online that Logan has an 8-year-old brother who chooses to keep his hair short. She said as a family they allow each child to choose how much of their Native culture they want to embrace.
However, in Logan’s case, Ashley said she compares what is happening now by the school system to what has happened to Native Americans historically when the culture was taken, tribal people were moved and ostracized.
“Logan’s hair is an extension of who he is,” Ashley said. “Without his hair, he will lose part of himself and a critical aspect of his heritage. Native Americans have been wearing their hair long since time immemorial. The Waccamaw Siouan Tribe has and continues to steward the land Classical Charter Schools of Leland currently occupies and all the surrounding land of the Cape Fear region for more than 1,000 years. The school’s dismissal of Logan’s identity and our tribal customs is needless, unfair, and deeply offensive to who we are and who our tribe has always been.”
The Waccamaw Siouan Indians Tribe, based in Bolton, NC, sent a letter on behalf of the Lomboy family stating the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe is a sovereign nation with its own unique cultural traditions, including the significance of long hair. The act of cutting one’s hair without proper reason and ceremony is a violation of our beliefs and customs.
“We urge you to make an exception for Logan and any other Native American children who wish to keep their long hair as an expression of their cultural identity,” Waccamaw Siouan Indians Triba; Chair Terry Mitchell wrote in a letter to the school system. “It is important to respect and honor the cultural practices and beliefs of Native American communities, especially when they involve sacred aspects such as keeping our hair long.”
In addition to getting tribal support, Ashley solicited the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The national ACLU and the ACLU of North Carolina issued a statement on March 20, 2023, that stated demanding that Logan cut his hair is in violation of his religious and cultural beliefs, and that Classical Charter Schools of Leland, as a public charter school and recipient of federal education funds, appears to be in violation of the North Carolina Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Two days later, the school system issued a statement on March 20, 2023, pushing back on the actions of the ACLU by calling the organization’s charges “trumped up charges of discrimination.”
“The ACLU seems more interested in creating controversy than resolving it,” said Baker A. Mitchell, President and CEO of The Roger Bacon Academy, which manages the four CCS-A charter schools. “Our schools have procedures for dealing with matters such as these. A review is underway and will be considered by the Board on April 27.
Instead of respecting the process, the ACLU has jumped in with threats and accusations that drive people apart rather than bring them together.”
A call to The Roger Bacon Academy from Native News Online was not returned by press time. The school system has another case involving a Lumbee boy student in the same situation with similar circumstances that will be dealt with on April 27, 2023, as well.
In the meantime, Logan Lomboy can return to school without having to cut his hair, pending a decision on April 27, 2023.
About the Author: "Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
This 1st Grader's Hairstyle Represents His Native American Roots. His School Isn’t Having It.
Ian Kumamoto
Ian Kumamoto
HUFFPOST
Fri, March 24, 2023
The rejection of hairstyles linked to a nonwhite culture is not unique to Native American students.
Hairpolicing— the act of trying to dictate the style or length of another person’s hair — is a peculiarly persistent form of discrimination. That’s especially true of predominantly white institutions policing the hairstyles of people of color, who often have nuanced and culturally specific relationships to their hair.
Nonetheless, Classical Charter Schools of America, a system that includes four schools in North Carolina, is requiring two Native American boys to cut off their long hair if they want to return to class after the spring break, local outlet WRAL News reported Tuesday.
One of the students is a first grader whose mother, Ashley Lomboy, defended her son’s long braid by informing the administration that the hairstyle symbolizes a part of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe’s heritage, in which hair is linked with spirituality, per the American Civil Liberties Union. Under that reasoning, Lomboy said that the school system’s “grooming standards” would force her son to abandon an important cultural custom.
In response to her and another parent’s complaints, Classical Charter Schools released a statement doubling down on its stance. Among other rules, its grooming standards state that boys’ hair “must be neatly trimmed and off the collar, above the eyebrows, not below the top of the ears or eyebrows, and not an excessive height.” It also states that “Distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors are not allowed.” The question here is, distracting and radical to whom, exactly?
This rejection of hairstyles linked to a nonwhite culture is not unique to Native American students. Black students across the country are repeatedly chastised (or worse) for possessing hairstyles that deviate from a white supremacist system of beauty and grooming. In both academic and professional settings, many people’s natural hair is seen as “unprofessional” or “unkempt.”
In some instances, Black students, as well as grown Black professionals, are expected to style their hair in ways that can be damaging or unsustainable. (And meanwhile, some products for relaxing and straightening hair have recently been found to contain harmful chemicals.) Hair policing is such a prevalent problem that California passed the CROWN Act in 2019, a law that prohibits discrimination based on hair texture. Though that local legislation will hopefully catch on, no federal laws currently protect employees from hairstyle-based discrimination.
In many Indigenous communities across the country, long hair signifies strength and is a symbol of cultural pride. It makes sense that groups whose cultures are constantly undermined and often erased altogether would want to keep such signifiers intact.
Although Classical Charter Schools’ grooming rules might make sense for some, they completely disregard the nuance that exists in nonwhite communities. This country is composed of various cultures, and not everyone needs to live by the same rules, as long as they’re not causing harm. Embracing that nuance would show a higher level of open-mindedness that all schools should strive to teach their students.
Fri, March 24, 2023
The rejection of hairstyles linked to a nonwhite culture is not unique to Native American students.
Hairpolicing— the act of trying to dictate the style or length of another person’s hair — is a peculiarly persistent form of discrimination. That’s especially true of predominantly white institutions policing the hairstyles of people of color, who often have nuanced and culturally specific relationships to their hair.
Nonetheless, Classical Charter Schools of America, a system that includes four schools in North Carolina, is requiring two Native American boys to cut off their long hair if they want to return to class after the spring break, local outlet WRAL News reported Tuesday.
One of the students is a first grader whose mother, Ashley Lomboy, defended her son’s long braid by informing the administration that the hairstyle symbolizes a part of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe’s heritage, in which hair is linked with spirituality, per the American Civil Liberties Union. Under that reasoning, Lomboy said that the school system’s “grooming standards” would force her son to abandon an important cultural custom.
In response to her and another parent’s complaints, Classical Charter Schools released a statement doubling down on its stance. Among other rules, its grooming standards state that boys’ hair “must be neatly trimmed and off the collar, above the eyebrows, not below the top of the ears or eyebrows, and not an excessive height.” It also states that “Distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors are not allowed.” The question here is, distracting and radical to whom, exactly?
This rejection of hairstyles linked to a nonwhite culture is not unique to Native American students. Black students across the country are repeatedly chastised (or worse) for possessing hairstyles that deviate from a white supremacist system of beauty and grooming. In both academic and professional settings, many people’s natural hair is seen as “unprofessional” or “unkempt.”
In some instances, Black students, as well as grown Black professionals, are expected to style their hair in ways that can be damaging or unsustainable. (And meanwhile, some products for relaxing and straightening hair have recently been found to contain harmful chemicals.) Hair policing is such a prevalent problem that California passed the CROWN Act in 2019, a law that prohibits discrimination based on hair texture. Though that local legislation will hopefully catch on, no federal laws currently protect employees from hairstyle-based discrimination.
In many Indigenous communities across the country, long hair signifies strength and is a symbol of cultural pride. It makes sense that groups whose cultures are constantly undermined and often erased altogether would want to keep such signifiers intact.
Although Classical Charter Schools’ grooming rules might make sense for some, they completely disregard the nuance that exists in nonwhite communities. This country is composed of various cultures, and not everyone needs to live by the same rules, as long as they’re not causing harm. Embracing that nuance would show a higher level of open-mindedness that all schools should strive to teach their students.
After asking Native American boy to cut his hair, Leland school accused of discrimination
Jamey Cross, Wilmington StarNews
Wed, March 22, 2023
Logan Lomboy, a first-grader at Classical Charter Schools of Leland, was asked to cut his long hair to comply with the school's grooming policies. His mother says the alleged demand infringes on his religious and cultural rights.
A Leland charter school is being accused of discrimination after administration allegedly asked a first-grade Native American student to cut his long hair to comply with the school's grooming policies.
Ashley Lomboy said her 6-year-old son, Logan, has been a student at Classical Charter Schools of Leland since he started kindergarten around 18 months ago. Since then, Lomboy said they have always sent Logan to school with his long hair neatly styled in a bun, as the school's boys grooming policy dictates boys' hair should be off the collar, above the ears and above the eyebrows.
On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the school's board of trustees, claiming the policy and its enforcement discriminates against Logan and other Native American students. The ACLU claims enforcing hair rules for boys that prohibit them from wearing hairstyles that are allowed for girls also constitutes sex discrimination.
The ACLU called on the school to allow an exemption for Logan.
"We urge you to immediately grant Logan an accommodation allowing him to wear his hair in a long braid down his back, in accordance with his cultural and religious traditions. In the alternative, we ask the School to permit Logan to continue wearing his hair in a bun," the letter said.
In a Wednesday news release, Classical Charter Schools of America defended its "longstanding grooming standards," claiming they are applied regardless of a student's race, religion, income, cultural background or national origins.
“The ACLU seems more interested in creating controversy than resolving it,” said Baker A. Mitchell, President and CEO of The Roger Bacon Academy, which manages the four southeastern North Carolina CCS-A charter schools.
In February, Lomboy said, school administration approached Logan's father in the drop-off line and told him Logan would need to cut his hair to comply with the school's grooming policies. Lomboy said she and her family are part of the Waccamaw Siouan tribe, one of eight state-recognized Native American tribes.
"Hair is a part of our culture," Lomboy said. "Logan's a dancer, he needs his hair, it's a part of him... He's grown up knowing it is an extension of him. It's like asking him to cut off his pinky."
The next day, Lomboy said she had a conversation with school administrators, who told her she would need to file a grievance and administration would consider approving an exemption to the policy. During that conversation, Lomboy said, she also learned Logan was one of around 30 kids at four schools who had been told they would need to cut their hair.
Confident the exemption would be approved, Lomboy filed a grievance.
On March 10, Lomboy said she was informed the grievance was denied and the school was asking that Logan return from spring break on March 29 with short hair in compliance with the school's policy.
"They're asking him to sacrifice culture for a better education," Lomboy said. "That shouldn't be a choice any parent has to make in this state."
According to Classical Charter Schools of Leland's parent student handbook for the current school year, boys and girls face different grooming standards. For boys, the handbook outlines that "hair must be neatly trimmed and off the collar, above the eyebrows, not below the top of the ears or eyebrows, and not an excessive height." The standards go on to specify that "distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors are not allowed."
Lomboy said she was told by school administrators that "man buns" and ponytail hairstyles on boys were considered "faddish haircuts" and not allowed, per the policy.
According to Mitchell, the case will be considered by the board of trustees in April, and Logan will be permitted to attend school wearing his hair in a bun as he has in the past until the board's decision.
Last year, the same school was the subject of a federal appeals court case in which judges ruled that the school's dress code, which required female students to wear skirts, violated the constitutional rights of its female pupils.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Leland charter school accused of discrimination over boys' hair policy
Jamey Cross, Wilmington StarNews
Wed, March 22, 2023
Logan Lomboy, a first-grader at Classical Charter Schools of Leland, was asked to cut his long hair to comply with the school's grooming policies. His mother says the alleged demand infringes on his religious and cultural rights.
A Leland charter school is being accused of discrimination after administration allegedly asked a first-grade Native American student to cut his long hair to comply with the school's grooming policies.
Ashley Lomboy said her 6-year-old son, Logan, has been a student at Classical Charter Schools of Leland since he started kindergarten around 18 months ago. Since then, Lomboy said they have always sent Logan to school with his long hair neatly styled in a bun, as the school's boys grooming policy dictates boys' hair should be off the collar, above the ears and above the eyebrows.
On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the school's board of trustees, claiming the policy and its enforcement discriminates against Logan and other Native American students. The ACLU claims enforcing hair rules for boys that prohibit them from wearing hairstyles that are allowed for girls also constitutes sex discrimination.
The ACLU called on the school to allow an exemption for Logan.
"We urge you to immediately grant Logan an accommodation allowing him to wear his hair in a long braid down his back, in accordance with his cultural and religious traditions. In the alternative, we ask the School to permit Logan to continue wearing his hair in a bun," the letter said.
In a Wednesday news release, Classical Charter Schools of America defended its "longstanding grooming standards," claiming they are applied regardless of a student's race, religion, income, cultural background or national origins.
“The ACLU seems more interested in creating controversy than resolving it,” said Baker A. Mitchell, President and CEO of The Roger Bacon Academy, which manages the four southeastern North Carolina CCS-A charter schools.
In February, Lomboy said, school administration approached Logan's father in the drop-off line and told him Logan would need to cut his hair to comply with the school's grooming policies. Lomboy said she and her family are part of the Waccamaw Siouan tribe, one of eight state-recognized Native American tribes.
"Hair is a part of our culture," Lomboy said. "Logan's a dancer, he needs his hair, it's a part of him... He's grown up knowing it is an extension of him. It's like asking him to cut off his pinky."
The next day, Lomboy said she had a conversation with school administrators, who told her she would need to file a grievance and administration would consider approving an exemption to the policy. During that conversation, Lomboy said, she also learned Logan was one of around 30 kids at four schools who had been told they would need to cut their hair.
Confident the exemption would be approved, Lomboy filed a grievance.
On March 10, Lomboy said she was informed the grievance was denied and the school was asking that Logan return from spring break on March 29 with short hair in compliance with the school's policy.
"They're asking him to sacrifice culture for a better education," Lomboy said. "That shouldn't be a choice any parent has to make in this state."
According to Classical Charter Schools of Leland's parent student handbook for the current school year, boys and girls face different grooming standards. For boys, the handbook outlines that "hair must be neatly trimmed and off the collar, above the eyebrows, not below the top of the ears or eyebrows, and not an excessive height." The standards go on to specify that "distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors are not allowed."
More:U.S. Supreme Court takes interest in Leland charter school dress code case
Lomboy said she was told by school administrators that "man buns" and ponytail hairstyles on boys were considered "faddish haircuts" and not allowed, per the policy.
According to Mitchell, the case will be considered by the board of trustees in April, and Logan will be permitted to attend school wearing his hair in a bun as he has in the past until the board's decision.
Last year, the same school was the subject of a federal appeals court case in which judges ruled that the school's dress code, which required female students to wear skirts, violated the constitutional rights of its female pupils.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Leland charter school accused of discrimination over boys' hair policy
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