7th Grader Stereotyped A ‘Gangster’ By Principal For Wearing Braids To School

A seventh grader’s parents were troubled after their son’s principal at Calvary Baptist private school in Slidell, LA, questioned him about being a gangster after he showed up to school with braids.

According to The Times-Picayune, Ashely Thorn said she learned about her son Dalon’s interaction with his principal, Angelyn Mesman, after asking him how his day was in school and if his friends liked his braids.

“We’re driving out of the parking lot and he said the principal pulled him aside today and asked if his braids represented being a gangster,” Ashely Thorn said.

The Thorns tried to get in contact with Mesman, but left a message with her staff. The family said their phone call was never returned, so they paid Mesman an in-person visit to her office the following morning.

“I’ve never had a student wear their braids like that,” Mesman said in an audio recording of the meeting. “I’ve had teachers personally come to me and ask about his hair and what I thought about it.”

“I have seen children grow up in this school and I’ve seen them change, so I was just checking to see where we are. I just wanted to see his heart. Our culture is changing. Little boys used to have regular little haircuts,” the principal continued, emphasizing her worry of the influence the “changing youth culture” could have on Dalon.

“I’m seeing a lot of young people listening to a lot of rappers pushing for drugs and doing things opposite of Christ,” Mesmon added during the 16-minute discussion.

Dalon’s hairstyle does not violate any of the school’s policies, according to The Times-Picayune, though the private school has a rule against locks and afros over a certain height. Although Dalon was not asked to remove his braids because the school year is coming to a close, the family decided to transfer Dalon to another school next fall after what they described as the principal’s “lack of cultural understanding.”

In 2021, Brookings published research that found Black students are more likely to be suspended for discretionary reasons related to hair violations. Such discriminatory practices of cultural expressions hindered students of color from experiencing a diverse and equitable learning environment.