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School Board Grants Grooming Exemption For Native American High Schooler

By Howard M. Friedman

The Somerset (TX) Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Monday to grant an exemption from the district's grooming policy for high schooler Jesus Figueroa. Today's Houston Chronicle reports that the vote came after a judge had ordered school officials to permit the boy to return to the classroom while his case was being litigated. Figueroa is a P'urhépecha Indian from Mexico. He believes his hair is a gift from the Great Spirit and should be cut only to mourn the death of a loved one. Apparently the boy initially claimed an exemption based on free expression grounds. The school board was more amenable to granting an accommodation once the claim was based on religious grounds and Figueroa's parents filed a document with the court indicating that they are Native Americans.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on April 14, 2009 (boomark / email).