Controversy after hairstyle poster hits social media

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - It's a picture getting a lot of attention on social media of black children with various haircuts, some labels appropriate, others inappropriate. Duluth hairstylist, Danay Helena, shared the photo with FOX 5 News as well as the world on her Facebook.

It's of a poster at Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School in DeKalb County. The picture showed black children with various hairstyles, some labeled appropriate, others labeled inappropriate.

Ms. Helena posted the picture on her Facebook page after a client, a parent of a boy at Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School sent it to her with lots of concerns.

"You know you don't want kids to feel less than because of their hair so that's what I feel like it is. It just didn't sit well. Definitely felt like discrimination," said Helena.

She said the photo of the appropriate-inappropriate hairstyles came from a picture taken of a poster at the elementary school where Joseph Eboigbe was a student years ago.

"You had to have a particular whatever your shirt color, your pants color, your shoes color," said Eboigbe.

He said the theme school had and still has a strict uniform dress code. But he doesn't recall ever seeing anything about appropriate and inappropriate hairstyles.

"No they did not specifically dictate your haircut. But I can see that looking at it as a distraction," said Eboigbe.

FOX 5 News reached out to the president of the Narvie PTA who had no comment and referred reporter George Franco to the DeKalb County School District.

In a statement, a spokesperson wrote, "The poster was a result of a miscommunication relating to appearance rules at the school. In addition, a letter was sent to parents clarifying the school's dress code and appearance policy."

The district referred FOX 5 News to its student code of conduct which had policy prohibits jewelry, tattoos, piercing, insignias and other forms of expression that could disrupt the educational process. No mention of hair, which further solidified Danay Helena's intentions of drawing attention to the now removed appropriate - inappropriate poster.

"They're definitely backpedaling but I mean why not let the kids wear their hair the way they want, you know what I mean," said Helena.