A Boy With Amazingly Bouffant Hair Isn’t Accepted to School Because He’s Not Like Everyone Else

Each school enforces its own set of rules and regulations, often obliging students and parents to adhere to them, even when they may seem unnecessary. This is the backdrop against which we encounter 11-year-old Farouk James. Known across social media for his unique and distinctive hair, he is facing difficulties in locating a school that welcomes his individuality.

Unique among the ordinary.

Farouk James, an 11-year-old child model renowned in the world of fashion with more than 250,000 Instagram followers, alongside his mother, Bonnie, grapples with the formidable challenge of finding an appropriate school for him to attend. A multitude of UK schools have stringent guidelines concerning hair length, and due to Farouk’s flowing locks, they typically suggest that he trims his hair before rejoining the classroom.

Bonnie perceived this as an injustice, given that her son’s hair is entirely natural, untouched by dyes or styling. She argued that if Farouk were a girl, the school would likely not object to the length of his hair, thus viewing this situation as a clear instance of discrimination.

Hair has always been his hallmark.

Farouk has always been characterized by voluminous hair, which was noticeable even before he was born, according to the results of prenatal scans. He treasures his locks and gets very upset when he is told that he has to cut them off to go to school.

Bonnie had previously enrolled Farouk’s older brother in a school where hair length had been an incessant subject of contention. She had hoped that the school’s policy on hair might have evolved over the years, as her elder son, who is now 23, had been censured for having hair that was considered “too short.”

However, she discovered that many of the school’s regulations pertaining to appearance had remained unaltered. Consequently, Farouk would be compelled to shorten his hair in order to gain admission, a prospect that Bonnie vehemently rejected.

Mother and son intend to fight for their rights to uniqueness.

Bonnie initiated a viral campaign for change, amassing support from parents grappling with similar issues, particularly those whose children sported dreadlocks and Afro hairstyles. Together Bonnie and her son aspire to challenge these seemingly arbitrary school regulations and usher in meaningful change.

“We’re getting a real team together and calling it the Mane Generation. We’re going to fight this until these rules get changed. And it’s globally, not just domestically in the UK,” she declared.

These mothers and sons are not the only brave people who fight for their rights to be themselves. On the runways, among celebrities and in ordinary life, you can see more and more people who are not ready to give up their uniqueness for the sake of others’ peace of mind.