Mystic Valley Charter School Drops Ban on Hair Extensions
The Lawyers’ Committee, together with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and pro bono partners at Latham & Watkins, represent Mya and Deanna Cook, Black twin girls who had been subjected to detentions and suspensions at Mystic Valley Charter School for wearing hair extensions.
As a step in the right direction, Mystic Valley Charter rescinded the ban on extensions and other Black hairstyles in its code for the upcoming school year. We continue to advocate for additional changes to school policy and practice, including the expungement of any discipline records involving violations of the old policy, and mandatory training for the school’s teachers and administrators.
“We hope this resolves itself as expeditiously and as thoroughly as possible, so that all children can start the school year without any fear of their education being disrupted by these polices,” said Matt Cregor, education project director with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice.