RantCrush Top 5: May 24, 2017

Fifteen-year-old twins Mya and Deanna Cook were apparently punished by their school in Malden, Massachusetts, for their hair. They both have hair extensions, which are prohibited in the school’s dress code, as they “signify wealth.” They “could serve as a differentiating factor between students from dissimilar socioeconomic backgrounds,” wrote Alexander Dan, the interim director of the school. After the girls refused to remove their hair extensions, they were barred from attending school activities, like prom and track meets. But last week, the ACLU took on the case and filed a complaint stating that the rules specifically target students of color. “The hair policy in particular, while not specifically mentioning these prohibited classifications, advances a standard of appearance that is based on Caucasian, Christian, and Western norms,” it reads.

We’re proud of our clients – the Cook family – who are standing up for #OurHairOurRights on behalf of their amazing daughters Mya and Deanna https://t.co/5hMVISdTIz

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) May 23, 2017

After the ACLU got involved, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office demanded that the dress code policy be removed. In a letter, it stated that it had found evidence that white students who had broken similar rules had not been punished. The school board then decided to suspend parts of the dress code for the rest of the year, and the twins are now free to go to prom. However, their mom, Colleen Murphy-Cook, said this is only the beginning, and that the policy should be permanently removed.

Right now at Mystic Valley: “Remove the policy all the way, or we will not go away!” pic.twitter.com/481kp7rNC9

— Aaron Leibowitz (@AaronInMalden) May 22, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.