- An 11-year-old girl was sent home from school because her hair was not "natural," according to her family.
- Over the summer, a policy was implemented at Christ the King Elementary School in Terrytown, Louisiana, that says: "Only the student's natural hair is permitted. Extensions, wigs, hair pieces of any kind are not allowed."
- The student's older brother described the policy on Facebook as "just one more barrier to entry for black people."
- The student, Faith Fennidy, no longer attends the school, her mom told NOLA.com.
An 11-year-old black girl was sent home from school on Monday because her hair was not "natural," her family says.
The student, Faith Fennidy, was not allowed to attend classes at Christ the King Elementary School in Terrytown, Louisiana, because she had extensions in her hair, according to a Facebook post by her brother, Steven Fennidy, that has since gone viral.
According to his post, the private school introduced a new policy about hair over the summer without proper warning.
The school's handbook says: "Only the student's natural hair is permitted. Extensions, wigs, hair pieces of any kind are not allowed."
But Steven Fennidy said this policy doesn't take black students into account.
"How do you make a policy without even having a discussion. It's because you don't care and it's just one more barrier to entry for black people," he wrote. "This decision is going to affect black children more than white children."
In a statement to INSIDER, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said parents were told of the change during the summer.
"This policy was communicated to all parents during the summer and again before the first day of school, and was applied to all students," the archdiocese said. "Furthermore, the school leadership worked with families as needed to ensure compliance."
In the video in Steven's post, Faith can be seen crying. Off camera, a woman asks, "What's wrong with her hair?"
When she was sent home from school, Faith was wearing her school uniform, and her hair was styled in a ponytail. Steven said that she "got a notice on the first day of class" about her hair and that the Fennidy family "tried to resolve" the issue "with the school, but they won't compromise at all."
The post was shared by Tokyo Vanity of VH1's "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta," who happens to be her aunt.
The rapper TI also shared it on Instagram.
Shaun King, the activist and Intercept columnist, also shared the post.
It just happened again.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 21, 2018
Christ The King Middle School in Gretna, Louisiana expelled this beautiful young Black girl saying that her hair style was "unnatural."
She was humiliated and removed from the school over it.
Let's be clear - this is Christianity as White Supremacy. pic.twitter.com/22IIKD9UCk
Montrelle Fennidy said that her daughter was no longer a student at Christ the King Elementary School and that she was trying to find a new school for the sixth-grader, NOLA.com reported.
"The school offered the student's family an opportunity to comply with the uniform and dress policy and the family chose to withdraw the student; the student was not suspended or expelled," a representative for the school told INSIDER of Faith.
The representative continued: "We remain committed to being a welcoming school community that celebrates our unity and diversity."
This isn't the first time a situation like this has transpired at a private school. Last week, a 6-year-old boy was sent home on the first day of school at A Book's Christian Academy in Florida because he had dreadlocks, The Washington Post reported.
Steven Fennidy didn't immediately return INSIDER's request for comment.
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