School districts should take note of the ACLU of Texas’ recent Fifth Circuit victory in which the appellate court upheld the right of a American Indian kindergarten student to wear his hair in long braids because that’s part of his religion.
The situation reflected in this case – a school district abridging a student’s right to religious expression – isn’t unique to Needville ISD, located in a small town by the same name near Houston.
We get complaints about similar situations from all over the state. Not all result in lawsuits and this ruling should make similar court wrangles unnecessary.
This religious rights victory should be a wakeup call to any school district that tries to put its dress code ahead of the rights of a Catholic student to wear a cross, a Jewish student’s right to wear a yarmulke or, as in this case, an American Indian student’s right to honor his heritage and beliefs by wearing long braids. 
July 9, 2010 - 2:27pm
By Dotty Griffith, ACLU of Texas Public Education Director
School districts should take note of the ACLU of Texas’ recent Fifth Circuit victory in which the appellate court upheld the right of a American Indian kindergarten student to wear his hair in long braids because that’s part of his religion.
The situation reflected in this case – a school district abridging a student’s right to religious expression – isn’t unique to Needville ISD, located in a small town by the same name near Houston.
We get complaints about similar situations from all over the state. Not all result in lawsuits and this ruling should make similar court wrangles unnecessary.
This religious rights victory should be a wakeup call to any school district that tries to put its dress code ahead of the rights of a Catholic student to wear a cross, a Jewish student’s right to wear a yarmulke or, as in this case, an American Indian student’s right to honor his heritage and beliefs by wearing long braids.
School districts should take note of the ACLU of Texas’ recent Fifth Circuit victory in which the appellate court upheld the right of a American Indian kindergarten student to wear his hair in long braids because that’s part of his religion.
The situation reflected in this case – a school district abridging a student’s right to religious expression – isn’t unique to Needville ISD, located in a small town by the same name near Houston.
We get complaints about similar situations from all over the state. Not all result in lawsuits and this ruling should make similar court wrangles unnecessary.
This religious rights victory should be a wakeup call to any school district that tries to put its dress code ahead of the rights of a Catholic student to wear a cross, a Jewish student’s right to wear a yarmulke or, as in this case, an American Indian student’s right to honor his heritage and beliefs by wearing long braids.