A 7-year-old Native American boy was asked to leave his class after school authorities said his hair cut, a Mohawk, 'was too distracting.'
The child Jakobe Sanden, is a second-grader of the Arrowhead Elementary School, Santa Clara, Utah. The school authorities called up Jakobe's mother, Teyawnna Sanden, requesting her to get the child's hair cut, as it was against the dress code.
"Extremes in body piercings, hair styles and hair colors may be considered a distraction or disruption," says the the district dress code, according to USA Today.
"I have two (sons) who go to Arrowhead. My other boy, he's 10, didn't want a Mohawk and went with the non-native haircut, kind of high and tight. So the principal says well, you have another son here who doesn't have a Mohawk, why can't you cut (the younger boy's) hair that way too," said Gary Sanden, the child's father.
The parents said they would show the Tribal Card, proving the boy was Native American, but the school authorities demanded a letter from the Seneca National Tribe, according to CBS News.
"It is common for Seneca boys to wear a Mohawk because after years of discrimination and oppression, they are proud to share who they are. It's disappointing that your school does not view diversity in a positive manner, and it is our hope that (the boy) does not suffer any discrimination by the school administration or faculty as a result of his hair cut," wrote William Canella, a Seneca Nation Tribal Councilor to the school authorities in his letter on the subject, according to The Washington Post.
The child's father is a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians while the mother belongs to the Kaibab Band of Paiutes Indians.
According to Assistant Superintendent Rex Wilkey the issue got overblown, as the school allowed the student back in class once they were made aware of the cultural significance of the haircut.
