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Texas Grooming Codes Force Boys to Cut Hair
Something About Long Hair In Texas
We’ve been publishing stories about grooming codes in Texas schools for years, from Habib, Jabez and Cole, to DeAndre, Kieran, Newt and many others. While the issue has raised legal questions and prompted warnings—including a letter from the ACLU to hundreds of Texas school districts—it’s unclear how many have re-examined their dress codes.
Luke is the most recent that’s come to our knowledge, but for every story we hear there are other boys and young men who are simply forced to cut their hair.
Growing To Donate
Luke McCorkle was seven years old when his sister was sick and hospitalized for a week. Visiting her, Luke noticed child patients with no hair. Asking why, his mom explained the kids were sick, and their treatment made their hair fall out.
He asked, “Momma, I have lots of hair, can they have mine?”
From that moment Luke continued growing until his first hair donation in 2020. He realized he couldn’t help all the kids without hair, but decided he wanted to help as many as he could by growing, donating and repeating.
His family even found out about The Great Cut, and Luke set his sights on his next hair donation in 2024.
Attempts To Meet The Grooming Code
Going into the 2022 school year, then 12 years old in sixth grade, Luke’s hair had started to approach the limits of the school grooming code at the time:
WISD Student Handbook
2. No facial hair, earrings, or ponytails worn by boys. Boys' hair cannot cover the eyebrows, cannot reach the top of their shirt collar in the back and cannot cover more than 1/2 of the ear. Eyebrows may not have lines or notches cut in them. Haircuts must be symmetrical, hair may not be long on one side and short on the other. Hair color must be a color that would occur naturally. No green, purple, pink, etc.
In earnest effort to stay within the code, his mom dutifully braided Luke’s hair each morning, over which he wore a headband. This was every day both for class and athletics.
While he may have gotten some looks or comments from teachers, the tactic seemed to be working.
Attempts At Diplomacy
Returning from winter break in January 2023 is when the real trouble began. Luke was warned that the braids and headbands would no longer be tolerated, and that his hair length was violating the school grooming code.
Luke wrote a letter explaining his desire to help children and their families, and to set an example of service to others.
In another effort, Luke’s family wrote and proposed an exception to the grooming policy which would allow boys, under strict and specific conditions, to grow long hair with the express purpose of donating to charity.
While some members of the school administration were understanding, trying to be solution-oriented and accommodating, Luke’s family often heard, “it’s out of our hands,” “it’s hard to make policy changes during the school year,” and, “we’ll consider rule changes over the summer, you can participate.”
Detention, In-School Suspension, Threatened Expulsion
Despite repeated attempts and various approaches, Luke was sent to detention every day, during lunch and break periods and for 30 minutes after school. After two weeks of detention, he was placed into in-school-suspension (ISS).
Finally in February, the school threatened to have Luke removed from class via law enforcement and escorted by police officers to an alternate education facility—at which point he could be denied readmittance to his school.
Under the apparent threat of expulsion, Luke gave in and cut his hair.
Rule Changes Without Input
The school board went ahead with changes to the school grooming code over the summer, but without participation from the McCorkle family.
9. Boys hair cannot cover the eyebrows, reach the top of shirt collar, or cover more than half of the ear in its natural state. No ponytails, braids, headbands, man buns etc. can be worn by boys. Natural occurring hair color; no blue, pink, green, etc. Hairstyles may not be disruptive to the learning environment.
At face value it would appear the rule was changed to specifically target Luke.
The Fallout
Going into seventh grade in the 2023 school year, Luke is faced with the same choice: cut his hair, or pursue his goal of growing to donate and face the consequences.
Throughout their family’s experience, Luke’s parents have supported Luke in his decision. Having seemingly exhausted all courses, they are now pursuing legal action.
To support the cost of legal fees, and to explain everything they’ve done in support of Luke, the McCorkle family has set up a GoFundMe. We urge you to visit, better understand the situation directly from his parents, and support Luke’s fight to grow his hair—even if you can only donate $1.
Antiquated Grooming Codes In Texas Schools
Luke’s story is just one of many in which grooming codes in Texas schools are forcing boys and young men to cut their hair. Read further case studies of hair discrimination in schools, or view best practices for overcoming discriminatory dress codes.
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Comments
Peaster ISD is doing this to several boys including my son. There is a petition with over 20,000 signatures and they are refusing to budge.
https://www.change.org/p/help-change-peaster-isd-discriminatory-policy-against-male-hair-length?recruiter=1313956361&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=share_for_starters_page&recruited_by_id=097ec0e0-35a2-11ee-959b-a5cf80f0079c&share_bandit_exp=initial-37083505-en-US&utm_content=fht-37083505-en-us%3Acv_166925
there are the supposed excellence schools ( high bill and oppressive for a med education) and the real excellence schools, als der Leipzig Thomaner Chor ( a boys choir where Johan Sebastian Bach himself was dirigent), where what is produced is more important that the hair length…:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mRy2RFrZ1A
excuse for the very long opus, but is there a protestant who refuse das Matthaus Passion?
It was really a pleasure to meet the McCorkle family.
Bro that’s horrible! No one should ever have to be forced to do that!
If they don’t require the same thing from the girls, it’s discriminatory. What if they said girls could no longer wear pants, would that be allowed?
Bruce: Reasoning by the absurd
as conservative authorities always refer to Paul 1Corinthians : “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him”, they ought also force girls to wear a hijab or a burqa for the following verse is: “But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved”.
but , as they are also men, they prefer admire girl’s manes in the streets, those sin exempted men !!!!
if i’ve well understood Texas rules: free of believing what you want, if it is a fundamental christian church only
in name of Jesus Christ love, you must wear war weapons as soon you go away your home
in any pretext, you will be detained in school, then in county jail !!!!
abortion, then nearly contraception, is a crime and you can be prosecuted if , as women pregnant or probably soon between 16 and 50, you leave this state to go to a more tolerant state ( in civil court to observe the us constitution for it give every state the right to make his own law…)
i ask me if soviet union was more oppressive, and i apply the second amendment: https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.phkBrKOkMTmvsd_ptK_VDwI7Bt%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=0a41dc52f193d1bb33e82f89e4227b9f5d745f982cf0393621b4e591842d1116&ipo=images
and i give the tip to those families: move from this tyranny to a more tolerant state !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
au moins, en Europe, ces règles imbéciles sont abolies depuis plus de 50 ans !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a pacific islander this matter hits me at my core.
Involuntary hair cutting has been perpetrated as nothing more than a control measure throughout human history. This archaic mode of belief ignores Luke’s personal character and humanity. All they see is a number and a paycheck. Leave our guy alone.
Well said sir!
I am older as you can see from my handle but this is triggering for me too. As a teenager in school (1960’s) I was hit over the head, had my ear pulled violently in front of a school assembly, by a priest.
As an Australian it’s hard to witness and understand the regressive politics in USA right now.
Wild that they went that far with all the detention and ISS. Just seems incredibly counter productive to a child’s development to punish for something that has such a clear positive cause behind it. Luke has PURPOSE!
The fact this still happens is SO wild to me. Luke, we’re sorry you had to go through this, young man! We got your back!
Let the children be. He had enough heart when he saw these other children without hair. These rules for childrens hair is crazy. Hes a good kid and wants to do good. Will never understand this
TOTAL BULLSHIT
Unfortunately he’s in a private school so he has to abide by their rules. Maybe he should switch to public school so this wouldn’t be an issue. Otherwise your only recourse is to sue the school for discrimination.
As a Native American, part of American history involved reeducation camps. Within these camps the native children were forced to unlearn their heritage and cut their hair. This goes against religious freedoms provided to us by this country. I wonder if Luke is part native, and if so this is even more egregious