TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - It was a protest about hair Saturday night outside of Rosary Cathedral.
They came to support fourteen-year-old Central Catholic High School student Malachi Wattley who refuses to cut his hair.
He’s been banned from Central for violating the school’s dress policy.
Specifically, Wattley has dreadlocks, a way he says, to honor his Caribbean heritage.
But the Catholic Diocese says he can’t walk the hallways of Central until he cuts his hair to shirt collar level per school policy.
Protesters say locks have a biblical significance.
"Samson wore locks. King Solomon wore locks. David and even Jesus Christ had locks," said protester Crystal Ethols.
Others at the protest at the cathedral say this is a case of hairstyle discrimination.
They’re demanding Central put a policy in place that does not take away a student’s right to exercise their cultural and religious rights.
"This is not hair that interferes with anyone. It’s not outrageous, doesn’t bump into anyone, hurt anyone. They need to be more concerned about people’s education and learning rather than what they look like,” said protester Claudia Cooper.
Protesters who you might say are trying to make a point in this hair-raising debate.
On Saturday night, spokeswoman for Central Catholic said Wattley was never banned from the high school.
She adds parents have the right to remove a student for any reason and Wattley is no longer enrolled at Central.
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