Change St. Augustine Hair Policy
The Issue
My name is Sebastian and I'm writing this on behalf of my St Augustine High School football teammates and a number of my classmates.
The Saint’s mission statement says: By helping to form loving disciples of Jesus Christ we communicate to the world the gospel values of Community, Truth, and Love. However, as a condition of acceptance into our school, it requires certain students to abandon their cultures.
According to the handbook, hair must be above the eyebrow and may not extend below the top of the ear. This outdated hair policy enables discrimination by our all white senior administration.
One of my teammates Bronx, stated: “Having to cut my hair at Saints was a hard loss, mostly because of the tradition and culture that my hair represents. “ He goes on to add “l know Jesus says to come as you are without Conditions, but acceptance at Saints came with conditions that took away what was valuable to me.”
Another teammate Ezaya stated: When I came to Saints I pleaded with them to let me keep my hair, and explained that in Samoan culture hair represents strength. But they did not care about my feelings or my culture. When I cut my hair It hurt so much that I cried. I felt weak. It was like a part of me died.
Saints is home to a group of students whose cultural practices tie directly into their hair. This forced cultural abandonment hurts specific student demographics.
The Crown Act classifies Hair policies as discriminatory and is now illegal in California and most states, but private schools like Saints are exempt. Although rival high schools like Cathedral Catholic and Mater Dei have voluntarily changed their hair policy to make students feel accepted without conditions, the Saints senior administration has been adamant against adapting to the culture.
Please help us convince the Saints' senior administration to live out the gospel values of Community, Truth, and Love. If the hair policy is not changed they are forcing these students to either abandon hope for a great education or abandon what's culturally important to them.
497
The Issue
My name is Sebastian and I'm writing this on behalf of my St Augustine High School football teammates and a number of my classmates.
The Saint’s mission statement says: By helping to form loving disciples of Jesus Christ we communicate to the world the gospel values of Community, Truth, and Love. However, as a condition of acceptance into our school, it requires certain students to abandon their cultures.
According to the handbook, hair must be above the eyebrow and may not extend below the top of the ear. This outdated hair policy enables discrimination by our all white senior administration.
One of my teammates Bronx, stated: “Having to cut my hair at Saints was a hard loss, mostly because of the tradition and culture that my hair represents. “ He goes on to add “l know Jesus says to come as you are without Conditions, but acceptance at Saints came with conditions that took away what was valuable to me.”
Another teammate Ezaya stated: When I came to Saints I pleaded with them to let me keep my hair, and explained that in Samoan culture hair represents strength. But they did not care about my feelings or my culture. When I cut my hair It hurt so much that I cried. I felt weak. It was like a part of me died.
Saints is home to a group of students whose cultural practices tie directly into their hair. This forced cultural abandonment hurts specific student demographics.
The Crown Act classifies Hair policies as discriminatory and is now illegal in California and most states, but private schools like Saints are exempt. Although rival high schools like Cathedral Catholic and Mater Dei have voluntarily changed their hair policy to make students feel accepted without conditions, the Saints senior administration has been adamant against adapting to the culture.
Please help us convince the Saints' senior administration to live out the gospel values of Community, Truth, and Love. If the hair policy is not changed they are forcing these students to either abandon hope for a great education or abandon what's culturally important to them.
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Petition created on December 17, 2023