A Decatur, Georgia, elementary school is in hot water after many are questioning its hairstyle policy that allegedly targets Black students, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. 

An image, which was shared more than 3,500 times on social media, at DeKalb County’s Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School shows pictures of various young Black girls and boys categorized by acceptable and unacceptable hairstyles. Based on the image, inappropriate haircuts for males include those with designs and mohawks, while young girls’ hairstyles with braids and colorful accessories are deemed unacceptable.

The photo has reportedly been used in previous years as a reference for dress code and appearance policy.

“Imagine being a black boy greeted by this. Sadly, this shows systematic bias against all black boys…” Jason B. Allen, an Atlanta educator, tweeted. 

DeKalb County officials responded to the backlash in a statement by saying the images do not reflect the district’s dress code policy. 

“This was a miscommunication at the school level and is being handled by school leadership. Nontraditional schools at (the DeKalb County School District) sometimes have the option to enforce dress code and style standards,” officials said. 

Reactions to the school’s hairstyle policy are pretty split down the middle, as critics say the image perpetuates racist standards of appearance, while proponents say if parents have an issue with the image, they should move their child to a different DeKalb County school. 

This year alone, two states — New York and California — have passed legislation barring hair discrimination in workplaces and public schools. 

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