‘Outdated, punishing rules’ – Mom fights for son, 8, to keep his long hair despite schools rejecting him

Despite the fact that we all have mixed memories of school, we can all relate to the rules. This is a tumultuous moment of highs and lows.

While some rules, like the one against wearing jewelry to athletic events, make sense, it seems unnecessary to send someone home because they brought a certain soda or because they are wearing too much makeup. It also misses teaching opportunities for the kids involved.

The strict dress codes enforced by schools often clash with the times in children’s lives when they want to be different and express who they are.

For one mother and her child, these rules might have been excessive, and they might have kept an 8-year-old boy from getting an excellent education.

Farouk James of London, England, attracts the attention of model scouts due to his amazing hairstyle. He is currently working as a child model and has completed photo shoots in Italy and New York.

But his appearance has only made things difficult for him in the classroom; multiple institutions have rejected him due to the length of his hair.

Bonnie Miller, James’s mother, says she was told when her older brother was in school that his hair was too short.

Bonnie claims that Farouk’s father is from Ghana and that, in accordance with traditional traditions, his parents waited until he was three years old to cut his hair.

THE FUTURE OF FASHION: FAROUK JAMES — @JustChambers

“At that point, he was attached— and so was I, to be honest— with his beautiful hair,” Bonnie stated to CBS News. “We kept the hair only.”

The family lives in the UK, where most schools have a policy against guys wearing long hair, even if girls are allowed to.

Bonnie claims that cutting a child’s hair violates their human rights.

“I will not give up trying to persuade governments to put legislation in place to protect children from these outdated, punishing rules,” his mother Bonnie wrote in an Instagram post.

“Despite the fact that Farok has done nothing wrong, you reject him! He will have to say farewell to his buddies when they are all accepted into the universities he so desperately wants to attend.

Because of this, Bonnie even started a Change.org petition to make hair discrimination illegal in the UK.

“We’re assembling a real team and dubbed it the Mane Generation,” Bonnie said. “We are going to fight this until these rules are changed. It also spreads over the entire world, not only the United Kingdom.

Farouk’s mother has an Instagram account that boasts over a quarter of a million followers, showcasing his lively nature and role as a child model.

They still get hate mail, though, despite all the love and support he gets online. Bonnie stated she received a lot of negative comments after discussing the family’s search for a school that will welcome Farouk and his hair on the well-known U.K. TV morning show “This Morning.”

“This is mental health week, so I’m surprised to be receiving lots of negative comments about Farouk’s hair,” Bonnie said in May of last year.

“Farouk refuses to cut his hair to appease people; it is a God-given feature of him, and he does not keep it long at my request.”

Bonnie argues that the clothing regulations for boys and girls in schools are outdated and often discriminatory because many schools prohibit braids and dreadlocks.

The mother vows that she will never give up on gaining acceptance for Farouk, his hair, and all the other children who encounter discrimination because they want to display their cultural heritage and identity.

In 2022, it will not be acceptable for people in charge of our children’s education to turn away a student because of the color of their hair. Farouk’s hair is an essential component of who he is. These rules should be prohibited.

Katie Ledecky sets new Olympic swimming record after Team USA wins silver in 4 x 200m freestyle

On Thursday, Katie Ledecky set yet another record when the women’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay team from Team USA took home the silver medal.

With 13 medals, the 27-year-old became the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history. Her most recent victory ended a tie she had with Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, and swimmer Natalie Coughlin.

In the demanding 1500m freestyle on Wednesday, the Maryland native claimed her eighth gold medal and her 12th overall. Ledecky tied Thompson for the most gold medals won by a female swimmer in Olympic history when she completed the event in an Olympic record time of 15:30.02.

Ledecky told reporters that she allowed her thoughts to roam and considered all the people who had contributed to her current situation as she was swimming.

“And during the race, I kind of let my mind wander, remembering everyone who has trained with me.” Was like thinking about them and chanting their names in my brain. I love you guys, my Florida crew—all those Florida boys who challenged me every day. I know I often make your life difficult, but you guys really made my life easy today. I really appreciate it.

The 27-year-old swimmer had another opportunity to increase her medal total on Thursday.

Ledecky, Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell represented Team USA in the 4 × 200m freestyle relay, finishing second behind Australia.

Ledecky became the most decorated American woman in Olympic history and the most decorated woman of any nation in swimming history with the team’s victory, which brought her 13 medals overall. She is only ahead of Michael Phelps, who has 28 medals.

Ledecky has one more chance to increase her medal total as swimming draws to a close. On Saturday, she’ll participate in the 800m freestyle.

Ledecky intends to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, despite the fact that this is her fourth Olympics overall, in Paris.

“Yes, my statement that I would love to compete in Los Angeles hasn’t changed over the last few months or years has been consistent.”

Katie, congratulations! You are history’s greatest.

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