Exclusive:
Farouk James has asked for a medical exemption from the strict rules and goes to classes in braids, but the school is insisting he will be kicked out if he doesn’t cut his hair short.
A 12-year-old boy with a phobia of having his hair cut short says he is facing expulsion from school if he doesn’t chop off his long locks.
Farouk James has never had more than a trim and his waist-length hair is now so impressive he has over 250,000 followers on Instagram. The schoolboy has been diagnosed with tonsurephobia, a fear of haircuts, as well as sleep disorder narcolepsy, which also causes him to have vivid nightmares about having his hair cut.
But despite requesting a medical exemption from strict short hair rules when he started his new school last September, Farouk – who has already been given several detentions for his huge mane – says he has been told he will be kicked out if he doesn’t cut it off.
He even goes to school with his hair neatly tied back in braids, but the London school has told him this is still unacceptable as ‘interweaving’ is not allowed, and that his hair needs to be above his collar.
Farouk, speaking on Sky News kids show FYI, said: “In black British culture, black boys have braids.
“I’ve got tonsurephobia and also narcolepsy which means I easily go into a deep sleep, and they tie together. I can have horrific dreams of my hair being cut off.”
He says that although doctors have sent many notes and updates to his boy’s school in London, “they clearly don’t believe it, they think it’s just a phase, a front to keep myself at the school.
“I’ve been given detentions because of my hair recently. The first punishment was a half-an-hour detention, the an hour’s detention, then on Friday this week I’ve got a two-hour detention.
“That eventually leads to isolation, suspension and eventually expulsion.”
Speaking to the Mirror, his mum Bonnie Miller said that although she knew of hair rules at the boys’ school near their home in Fulham, west London, she was led to believe they would be able to obtain exemption of medical grounds.
She said: “I sent them the medical documents 15 days before he started at the school, but the headmaster called me to a meeting in October saying he would be expelled if he didn’t cut his hair. He said the phobia isn’t recognised.”
She said she asked for six months to persuade him to cut his hair, and even find treatment for the phobia, but now the school is insisting that unless he chops it off he will be expelled imminently.
Mrs Miller said: “I’ve been working on my son to try to get him to cut his hair because he loves the school and I really value the education he gets there. He’s just about to start psychotherapy to overcome the phobia, we really are doing everything possible.
“I even contacted social services and asked about whether I should cut his hair off in his sleep, because that’s the only way I’d manage to do it, but they said they wouldn’t recommend it for the mental wellbeing of my child.
“Farouk has even told me that if he gets his hair cut his life won’t be worth living. Short of me actually filming me taking him to the barbers and sending that to the school, I don’t know what else to do.”
Farouk says it’s not fair that the girls in the school’s sixth form are allowed to wear their hair in the same way.
He said: “They’re allowed their hair plaited, cornrowed, interweaved, they are allowed to have dreads, which is extremely sexist to me and all boys who want to have plaits and hair like me.”
Farouk, who is in his school’s rugby A-team, says he doesn’t want to have to move, but won’t cut his hair.
“I’ve got really good friends and now everything’s going to get taken away from me.”
The school, which the family doesn’t want to be named, told the Mirror they are “simple unable to discuss any matter relating to individuals in our community because we must respect clear duties of confidentiality.”
It explained that “Both the rules, and the rationale for them, are clearly explained in our ‘rules and regulations’ section on our website and new joiners are made fully aware of them and sign an agreement to uphold them before they start at the school.
The same rules apply to everyone. Requests for exemptions are dealt with on their own merits and on a case-by-case basis according to various objective criteria.
What is more, if people are not satisfied with the school’s decision there is a well-established review procedure in place to ensure the system is fair and commands the greatest possible confidence of all those in our community.
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