JV Player Sues To Wear Braided Hair

NUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Trooper Taylor is trying to help Auburn win a national football championship as an assistant coach with theTigers. His son is in federal court fighting for the right to play basketball at Auburn Junior High.

Blaise Taylor, the 14-year-old son of the assistant coach, is suing Auburn’s school system for the right to wear braided hair during JV basketball games.

A lawsuit claims Auburn junior varsity coach Frank Tolbert won’t let Blaise play on the team unless he changes his hairstyle. The suit says the rule violates free speech rights and is racially discriminatory because it targets a black hairstyle.

A lawyer for the Auburn school board defends the rule and says it applies to everyone, not just blacks.

JV Player Sues To Wear Braided Hair

WHNT.com (Alabama)

NUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Trooper Taylor is trying to help Auburn win a national football championship as an assistant coach with the Tigers . His son is in federal court fighting for the right to play basketball at Auburn Junior High. Blaise Taylor, the 14-year-old son of the assistant coach, is suing Auburn’s school system for the right to wear braided hair during JV basketball games. A lawsuit claims Auburn junior varsity coach Frank Tolbert won’t let Blaise play on the team unless he changes his hairstyle. The suit says the rule violates free speech rights and is racially discriminatory because it targets a black hairstyle. A lawyer for the Auburn school board defends the rule and says it applies to everyone, not just blacks.