School suspends hair policy criticized as racist

It didn’t take long for a Kentucky school to suspend a dress code policy after significant outcry, both in person and on social media.

Butler Traditional High School had a hair policy that prohibited dreadlocks, cornrows (though the school wrote cornrolls), hair twists, braids, mohawks and any styles that are “extreme, distracting or attention-getting.”

The school was widely criticized for the rule on social media after Attica Scott posted the rules to Twitter on Wednesday. Scott has a daughter going to the school and is also a state House candidate.

Scott told the Courier-Journal that the policy “stinks of institutional racism” since it specifically targeted hairstyles worn mostly by black girls and women.

The school called for a meeting to discuss the policy Friday afternoon, which resulted in a suspension of the hair policy, according to the Courier-Journal. A photo showed many black women showed up to the meeting to speak about the policy.

It’s unclear when or if Butler officials intend to rewrite the hair portion of the school’s dress code policy.

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 2:25 PM with the headline "School suspends hair policy criticized as racist."