Complaints filed urging federal civil rights companies to research Texas faculty district’s costume code

HOUSTON The Texas ACLU and the ACLU national filed complaints Thursday with the U.S. Department of Civil Rights Education and the Department of Justice Department of Education Opportunities on behalf of two male Native American students.

The complaint came after two families filed internal complaints with Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD about their children being threatened with discipline by the Monahans Public School District for wearing long hair as part of their heritage and belief. The district school board refused to change their discriminatory clothing and grooming policies over the complaints.

“Federal law makes it clear that students cannot be discriminated against based on their gender, race, race, or religious beliefs,” said Brian Klosterboer, attorney for the Texas ACLU, in a press release. “We have repeatedly urged this school district to stop discriminating against its students and we hope that federal civil rights oversight will encourage the district to change its policies and practices for the benefit of its students.”

In the complaints, the press release states that the Valle and Kines families mention that despite their ancestry and beliefs, MWPISD refused to grant them written exemptions from their dress and grooming codes and instead asked both students to to prove their Native American ancestry. When Deseree Valle complained about her son’s discrimination, the MWPISD police chief went to her home and asked her to “drop the hair problem.”

Both families are demanding that their students wear long hair to reflect their Native American heritage, origins, beliefs, and identity without prejudice or retaliation from MWPISD, and that the district revise its code of dress and grooming, in order to no longer be discriminated against based on gender.

“Because of this discriminatory dress code and the MWPISD police coming to our home, my son is still afraid we might be arrested and too afraid to report bullying at school,” said Valle.

“I cannot tell you how many hours we have spent in the past six months cracking down on an apparently discriminatory policy,” Rebekah Kines said in the press release. “I am deeply sad that the time has come. I think we have no choice but to go ahead and try to change the politics of this district. “

The Valle and Kines families hope MWPISD will approve and approve requests filed with the Department of Civil Rights of the US Department of Education and the Department of Education Opportunities of the Department of Justice.