Texas Mother Says Her 11-Year-Old Son Received In-School Suspension Over His Braided Hair

A Texas mother is outraged that her son received an in-school suspension and spent over a week isolated in a cubicle because of his braided hairstyle.

According to the Daily News, the mother is considering filing a lawsuit against the school before the upcoming school board meeting next Monday.

She hopes to put an end to these types of disciplinary actions.

“My son got ISS for wearing his hair like this today they didn’t even send any documentation home because they know how dumb they are for this,” Hope Cozart said in a Facebook post last week showing a picture of Maddox’s hair.

Cozart’s son attends Raymond Mays Middle School, which is part of the Troy Independent School District, and wanted to wear the hairstyle to celebrate his Black heritage.

“We try to teach our kids about all of their culture. Black, white, Native American, everything,” Cozart said. “They like to explore their culture. We looked at African tribes and how they braid their hair up. Bantu knots and all the meanings of all that.”

Apparently, the school has a rule that boys’ hair “may not be worn in a ponytail, top knot, bun, or similar styles.”

“It would not be appropriate for me to discuss disciplinary action involving specific students,” Superintendent Neil Jeter told KCEN in an email and would not comment further on the matter.