AG Orders Malden Charter School To Stop Punishing Students For Their Hair

MALDEN, MA -- The state Attorney General's Officeon Friday ordered Mystic Valley Regional Charter School officials to "immediately cease'' its hair and makeup policy, after twin 15-year-old sisters Deanna and Mya Scott went public with their complaint that school officials were punishing them for wearing hair extensions in violation of the school's hair and makeup policy.

In a letter sent to Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, the attorney general’s office said it has "significant concerns about , and is investigating, the substance and application of (the school's) Hair/Makeup policy, particularily as it has been applied to prohibit students of color from wearing certain hair styles - and to punish them for doing so,'' NECN reports.

The AG's Office ordered Mystic Valley officials to "immediately cease enforcing or imposing discipline for violations'' of the school’s hair and makeup policy, NECN reports.

Since late April, Mystic Valley has imposed repeated detentions on the twin sisters, who are biracial, and wear hair extensions. The school’s dress code prohibits extensions — additional hair that is woven in the girls' natural hair — citing them as an example of a style that is “distracting” to other students and can highlight economic differences between students.

When the sisters refused to remove the hair extensions, they were also banned from participating in sports, the Latin Club and they were prohibited from attending other school events, including the prom, according to reports.

The school’s policy also bans hair that is “more than 2 inches in thickness or height,” an apparent reference to “Afros” that are most likely to be worn by male and female black students, according to the attorney general’s office.

A spokesman for the school could not be reached for comment Friday night.

But Alexander J. Dan, Interim School Director, told NECN “We are in receipt of the letter from the attorney general’s office and it will be reviewed by the board of trustees at a meeting that has been called for Sunday night.”

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts filed a complaint against the charter school with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary School Education, alleging that the school's hair and makeup policy is discriminatory.

The ACLU of Massachusetts wrote in a statement, "The policy discriminates on race, gender, national origin, religion and disability. Our complaint seeks a new policy with an immediate halt to discriminatory actions based on the existing policy.''

For more on this story see NECN.

Courtesy photo (left to right): Deanna Cook, mother Colleen Cook, and Mya Cook.