Mom upset son told he can’t wear earrings at school

'We are in 2020. You know, I can understand if we were back in the day, mother says

HOUSTON – A Texas mother is upset after her six-year-old son is told he can't wear earrings to school.

Officials told her it's against school policy, which hasn't been updated in over a decade.

Now, she's on a quest to make sure the district changes the policy.

“Ok, so I have to be in a religion in order for you guys to accept my child with earrings into school,” the mother, Natasha Validifies, said to KTRK.

Valdiviesco just moved to Houston from Miami and she's so upset because she believes her son’s new school is making a big deal about him wearing earrings.

"Why are they making him feel so different like wearing earring is bad like it's a crime?" Valdiviesco said.

The mother says Heflin Elementary School leaders told her that her 6-year-old son Pedro Hargrove had to either take the earrings off or place band-aids on them.

“One of my friends said ‘why do you have band-aids?’” Hargrove said. "I said because the office teacher said that you can’t wear earrings.

Valdiviesco says she allowed her son to pierce his ears two months ago because he wanted to be like his big brother.

On Wednesday, after calling surrounding districts, she found out other schools are ok with boys wearing earrings but she also realized something else about ALIEF ISD's policy.

“I found out girls can wear earrings. I was under the impression that no child can wear earrings to school so I said if girls can wear them why can’t boys so now you guys are doing a gender discrimination as well,” the mother said.

Valdiviesco is asking for school leaders to look into this further. She says she's standing up for other parents who may face this situation in the future.

"We are in 2020 now you know I can understand if we were back in the day," Valdiviesco said.

ALIEF ISD's released a statement to KTRK noting that male students in elementary, intermediate or middle school could not wear earrings but high school male students could as long as it’s not a distraction.

The statement also said, “In realizing that this policy was last updated in 2007, we will review the rule during our annual student code of conduct committee review as we begin preparing for the 2020/2021 school year.”


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