A video posted on Facebook shows a black school girl crying as she is forced to leave school grounds for having braids which the school believes are at variance with the institution’s uniform policy.
The incident created an angry backlash from Netizens who accused the school’s administration of racism and were otherwise appalled by the decision.
Archdiocese of New Orleans School superintendent RaeNell Houston defended the school’s uniform policy.
“This policy was communicated to all parents during the summer and again before the first day of school,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, the school leadership worked with families as needed to ensure compliance,” he added.
In a statement obtained by Sputnik, Christ The King Elementary School Policy said that Faith Fennidy’s family was offered "an opportunity to comply with the uniform and dress policy and the family chose to withdraw the student," adding that the student was not "suspended or expelled."
Fennidy’s family is considering suing the school for discrimination.
Braids are a type of hairstyle that black people adopt in order to maintain their thick, natural hair.
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This hairstyle makes it more convenient to play sports; it keeps the hair healthy and allows it to grow. Many in the community argue that the school’s new policy disproportionately impacts black students.
Previously, a boy was forced to enroll at a different school after his school’s authorities ordered him to remove his dreadlocks or drop out.