In Ghana, Rastafarian high schooler fights to keep his hair

By KWASI GYAMFI ASIEDU
Associated Press

A school official told a new student in Ghana that he had to cut his dreadlocks. The 17-year-old boy and his family asked the courts to intervene. A haircut was not an option for the student. He is a Rastafarian and growing out his hair into locks is an important part of his faith. The school argued in court documents that all boys, regardless of their religion, must “keep hair low and neatly trimmed.” A high court judge sided with the student. The school and Ghana’s attorney general are appealing the ruling. One expert said, “inter-religious tolerance in Ghana is very fragile.”