Lawsuit over school’s hair policy moved to federal court

Christ the King Elementary School, a Catholic school in Terrytown, and the Archdiocese of New Orleans have moved a lawsuit regarding the school’s policy forbidding hair extensions to federal court.

The New Orleans Advocate reported last week that attorneys for the Christ the King Elementary School and the archdiocese say federal court is the proper venue for a case alleging violations of the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit by the families of two Black students at the school say the policy is discriminatory because it blocked the girls from attending class. The school says it has since rescinded the policy. It’s unclear if the girls have returned to the school.

The newspaper says this is a common legal move and that the families could request the case return to state court.

The two girls were told to leave school after showing up with braided hair extensions, which school officials said violated school policy.

Images of one of the two girls fighting back tears as she left the West Bank school went viral on the Internet, prompting a firestorm of criticism from groups like the NAACP, Urban League of Louisiana and the Anti-Defamation League as well as civil rights advocates and celebrities.

After some wrangling in the local media, the girls’ families eventually met with school and archdiocese officials, both of whom announced that the hair policy would be rescinded.

A hearing is set for Sept. 18.

This article originally published in the September 10, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.