Students plan sit-in as Malden charter school defends hair policy it suspended

MALDEN, Mass. — Even though a Malden charter school has suspended its hair policy, the controversy around it continues Monday.

On Sunday night, the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Board voted unanimously to suspend the hair portion of its hair/makeup policy after parents called it racist and the Attorney General's office said it singled out students of color.

The school released a letter late Sunday that defended the policy, despite its suspension.

"Some have asserted that our prohibition on artificial hair extensions violates a “cultural right,” but that view is not supported by the courts, which distinguish between policies that affect a person’s natural “immutable” characteristics and those that prohibit practices based on changeable cultural norms," said the letter, which was not signed.

The policy prohibited extensions, unnatural colors, distracting hair, fades and hair more than 2 inches in height.

As first reported on Boston 25 News, the Cook family's two daughters, Mya and Deanna, were punished for their braided extensions. The two girls, both African American, wracked up 16 hours of detention for wearing their braids, which they said was an important part of their African American heritage.

"It makes me feel like my culture and my hair was not important enough to be represented around the school," Cook told Boston 25 News.

When the school board announced it would suspend the policy on Sunday evening, the board said the suspension would last until the end of the school year, leaving parents, including the Cook Family, with follow up questions.

"It doesn't sound like they've changed the underlying policy. And it sounds like the enforcement has only been put on pause until the end of the school year," said Aaron Cook, father of Mya and Deanna.

In the letter, the school said it had actually stopped enforcing the 2-inch height rule, "based on productive conversations with members of our community according to our standard internal complaint procedure" eight months ago.

As for the rest of the hair policy, the Board of Trustees of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School said it will undertake it during the annual review of the uniform policy for the coming school year.

"While we believe there is precedent confirming that our policy would withstand a legal challenge and data showing that we have implemented the policy in an equitable manner, we do not wish to engage in a legal battle that would further divert the focus and energy of our faculty and students, siphoning financial resources from the school and the students it serves," said the letter.

On Monday, students have planned a detention sit-in to show solidarity for Mya and Deanna. The school board confirmed Monday the girls to not have to serve the remainder of their detentions, but the sit-in is continuing. The girl's mother has also questioned whether or not it will be removed from their school records.

Cox Media Group