Little Boy Is Isolated in School Cubicle for His Long Curls as It Could Pose ‘Hazards'

• A 9-year-old boy has been growing out his hair since he was four years old to donate it to kids with cancer.
• Knowing that his hair would present a problem at school, his mother helped him braid his loose curls for the first day.
• Hours later, she received a distressing call that her son had been isolated in a cubicle due to his hair.

Nine-year-old Habib Abunijmeh has been growing out his curls since the age of four. The little boy had been hoping his hair would grow long enough for him to donate to a non-profit organization called Wigs for Kids, which provides wigs for kids with cancer.

With his hair already reaching past his shoulders, Little Habib was just a few inches away from reaching the required 12-inch length to donate. But his mother, Faye Abunijmeh, would never have guessed that her charitable son's good deed would end up being a problem with his school.

To Habib and Faye's disappointment, the Joshua Independent School District (JISD) thwarted Habib's efforts, claiming his hair violated the school's dress code. The school's administration gave him instructions to cut his hair before the school term resumed.

Mama Faye spoke about how proud Habib was of his hair because he stood a chance of doing something that mattered to him. All he wanted was to be able to give a child going through such a trying time in their life something that would make them feel good. Faye ended up starting a petition against the school's rule in which she stated what happened.

Initially, Habib and his mom had gotten away with the hair code on the first day of school after finding a loophole in the rules.

With help from Faye, Habib's long curly air was transformed into a braid pinned up in the back. Although their efforts were enough to get Habib into the school that first day, Faye got the dreaded call one morning.

Faye Learns Her 9-Year-Old Boy Had Been Isolated in a Cubicle

That morning, the school had called Faye to tell her that her son—who she says never gets into any trouble—had been put on in-school suspension for not following school protocol. This meant that the little boy had been isolated inside a cubicle, which he would only be allowed to vacate once he observed the standards set by the school.

After the call, a less than-thrilled Faye immediately phoned the school's superintendent, who then emailed her the school's dress code guidelines. According to the grooming regulations stipulated in the school's dress code, boys are prohibited from growing their hair past the bottom of their school dress shirt's collar or the crest of a T-shirt's collar.

Habib's story is just as inspiring as it is important.

Apparently, the school had a set of differentiated rules for girls and boys. Unlike girls, boys were not allowed to adorn ponytails and had constraints on the length of their sideburns.

Faye disclosed how her son had asked her why his sister was allowed to wear her hair long, and he wasn't. The mom of two labeled the rules sexist and discriminatory.

Following her back and forth with the school's superintendent, where she explained the reason for her son's lengthy hair, Faye was sent a final message. Habib's mother was told that the aforementioned rules were implemented to teach children how to practice good hygiene and grooming and prevent disruption:

"It is commendable that your son wants to grow his hair to donate to an organization such as Locks of Love, [but] JISD has a dress code that all students must follow in order to attend school...All aspects [of the dress code] were developed to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards."

In defense of her son's choice, Faye stated that the rule was denying her son the opportunity to make an impact in his community. She tried to ask for clarification about how her son's hair was hazardous, unhygienic, and disruptive since she ensures she and her children all practice good hygiene at home, clarification of which she never received.

The Unfair School Rule Didn't Stop Habib from Fulfilling His Dream

Unfazed by the efforts to prevent him from carrying out his wish, Habib achieved his goal of donating his hair. He more than reached the 12-inch required length and grew his hair to 20 inches. After a wash, dry, and straightening, Habib's hair was primed and ready to be donated.

As he proudly posed with his cut-off hair in his hands and adorned a fresh new look, Habib was ready to start growing his hair again. His mom divulged how he wanted to wait until his senior year to do so, and the family had hoped that by then, they would have found a school more accepting of equality and change.

On Twitter, Faye posted a series of pictures of Habib, her, and his little sister, all beaming with pride as they held onto not only his old hair, but hers and her daughters too. She added a message that read:

"We did it, 20" on Habib's hair alone. I did 16-17" and Zayna 20", all mailed today to @CWHL_org @CWHLMI @TheLonghairs, [and] we can't wait to see the recipients' faces. I know we won't know who specifically got it, but the thought of making someone happy makes me happy #habibdwabe."

Habib's story is just as inspiring as it is important. He taught everyone not to give up on helping others, even if that means being subjected to unfair obstacles and hurdles along the way. The act of being so selfless at such a young age can teach the world a thing or two about being consciously charitable, a characteristic that should be fundamental to the human experience.

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