If you attended a public, private or charter school you likely had a dress code. If you had a strict dress code, there is a good chance you spent many years being frustrated and complaining. But at what point does a school go truly too far? Recently, a Texas elementary school gave a dress code violation to a young boy for wearing his hair in medium length dreadlocks. Is this crossing the line or is the outrage of the policy blown out of proportion?

Jonathan Brown, who is only six years old, went to school with his dreadlocks slightly below his eyebrows. Spring Valley Elementary School responded by sending a note home to his parents that his hair violated school policy. Spring Valley Elementary School states that the issue is the length, not specifically the dreadlocks. It should also be noted other students were given the same violation. His mother, Tiffany L. Brown, started to express her concerns over social media. She argues that her son's confidence and identity is tied to his freedom to wear his hair how he wants.

His mother held firm to keeping her son's hair intact. Spring Valley Elementary School placed him in in-school suspension until his hair is altered to fit the policies. His mother also updated that her son now hates his hair, something he was once proud of.

This is not an isolated situation. Repeatedly, headlines have been made by school telling students their hair is out of dress code. What is shocking is styles popular in minority communities tend to be the ones in violation. Are the dress codes (that are commonly older rules that have not been changed) targeting minorities? Are the dress codes purposely wiping away the freedom of expression?

America has progressed greatly since the beginning of a lot of school policies. However, the policies have not kept up. Did a dress code help us to learn? Or is this a tradition we should we leave behind? Do students not continue to learn in an environment where freedom of expression is allowed?

If children are going to receive the right to choose how they express themselves through their appearance, they will need the help of adults to have their voices heard. Young students need someone fighting in their corner, to change the policies that affected us and now them.

Are schools across America correct, does a hair style disrupt the learning? Or is this a subtle way for America to continue to oppress and erase the culture of minorities?