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      Pearland Independent School District, Berry Miller Junior High School Principal Tony Barcelona, discipline clerk Helen Day and teacher Jeanette Peterson. All three school officials are white, according to the suit.

      The suit said their son, identified as 13-year-old J.T., was in seventh grade when, on April 16, he got a "fade haircut with a design line." Pictures show the fade lines resembled an M.

      Download the As more blacks wear natural hairstyles, some children run up against rules

      J.T.'s mother had tried calling and emailing the district superintendent, but she never heard back. Her attorney then sent a letter demanding the three involved staffers receive training. No one responded.

      "Due to the lack of training, lack of proper policies, lack of employee discipline, failure to fire or reassign the individual defendants, and pattern of racial discrimination J.T. is likely to experience further instances of discriminatory actions at the Pearland ISD," the lawsuit said.

      Barcelona, Day and Peterson did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Pearland Independent School District said in a statement that the district "has yet to receive notification of the lawsuit" outside of media reports. "Upon receipt, it will be reviewed by our legal counsel. No further comment will be provided at this time," the statement said.

      A statement from the district in April reiterated the school dress code, which said: "Hair must be neat, clean and well groomed. Extreme hair styles such as carvings, mohawks, spikes, etc. are not allowed.”

      But the district said "filling in the shape of the hair carving with a marker ... is not condoned by the district and does not align with appropriate measures for dress code violations."

      The administrator who "mishandled disciplinary action" was placed on administrative leave. It's unclear which administrator the statement was referring to. Barcelona was promoted to school principal at the end of the 2018-19 school year.

      Pearland Independent School District also

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