“While I was reviewing photo that was submitted with the petition, I noticed that Jacob’s hair does not meet the requirements for marching at graduation,” says the school employee, who identified herself as Karen Northrop.

“As a reminder for the graduates participating in the ceremony, we ask the gentlemen to have hair tapered and may not come over the ears, eyebrows, or collar (no braids, dreadlocks, buns, or ponytails). Would you mind emailing me back and confirming that Jacob will abide by the hair guidelines during the graduation ceremony? Once I have your confirmation that our dress requirements will be followed, then I can move Jacob’s petition on to the approval process.”

Rush later created a petition against the school’s policy, advocating for her son to wear his cap and gown with all of his hair.

“I just recently lost my husband, so I’m having to really dig deep and be that voice for my children as they come along through school and teach them when they see something that’s not right, not to turn a blind eye to it,” Rush said during a March 18 news conference.

As of now, over 90,000 people have signed the petition. After the backlash, the school has since apologized and says it will be removing the word dreadlocks from its policy.

However, the policy still prohibits Jacob’s hair from touching his ears, eyebrows and or collar, therefore he still won’t be able to walk during the ceremony, Rush’s attorney Sue-Ann Robinson said.

“We are operating in a society that essentially with policies like this devalues and stigmatizes Black hair,” Robinson said. “Hair discrimination is rooted in systemic racism, and we’re not asking for anything that’s different or special.”

Jacob says he started his locs about four or five years ago because he wanted something that was his.

“It’s a part of me,” he said. After high school Jacob wants to learn to be a dental hygienist before obtaining an a degree in anesthesiology.

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