In honor of International Day of the Girl, NYSED has released guidance to assist local education agencies in their obligation to implement and educate students about the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, prohibits racial discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles and protects students’ rights to wear or treat their hair however they desire, without the threat of racial discrimination or loss of access to school.
In 2019, the Dignity for All Students Act, or DASA, was amended by the CROWN Act to add the definition of race that includes traits such as hair texture and protective hairstyles such as locs, braids, and twists to protect students’ access to their public education regardless of how they choose to wear or style their hair.
While DASA already protects the right of all students to learn in schools free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying, it was clarified that those rights include self-expression through hair style. For additional information on the CROWN Act or DASA, please visit NYSED’s Dignity for All Students Act website.
