Tonight, we begin with the story of a 5-year-old boy who was allegedly rejected from two schools in Ladyville because of his dreadlocks. His father, Kevin Pollard, calls it straight up discrimination against a child who has every right to an education.
He explained that dreadlocks is something tied deeply to their religion and says that it breaks his heart to see his own son having to deal with the type of prejudice other Rastafarians know all too well.
But while he is fighting for his son's basic rights, one of the school's in question also gave us their side. According to them, the problem isn't with the child's religion or his hair - it's because they simply have no more space in that class.
Courtney Menzies spoke with both Pollard and the administration of Ladyville Evangelical and has both sides to this story:
Kevin Pollard has been a Rastafarian his entire life, and his father before him. So, naturally, he raised his own son the same way, dreadlocks and all. And for the last five years, the young boy has been growing them without a hitch. But, according to Pollard, the child is now facing discrimination before he can even understand what it is, and it all started when he tried to enroll his son into a school near his workplace.
Kevin Pollard, Father
"I went to the Ladyville Evangelical School to try to enroll my son into school there because he's graduating from Kindergarten so they told me that because of his hair, they cannot accept him because that's a rule they have within their school that's been passed down."
"I went to the Ladyville SDA primary school and the principal said the same thing that because of their school policy that my son cannot enter their school, he would need to cut his hair, and then he will be welcomed. And I keep asking why, what is wrong with his hair, his hair is not what's gonna be learning, it's the child that's gonna be taking the education."
And Pollard said that this is a constant issue that Rastafarians face:
Kevin Pollard, Father
"Being a Rastafarian, we've been faced with these type of victimization, we've been faced with these type of rejection from all sectors but at the same time, we have a lot of prominent people in our society with locks so this discrimination needs to end. We have lawyers, we have doctors, we have cyclists, we have City Council Members, we have CEOs, we have a past minister with dreadlocks. We have people around the world with dreadlocks being a part of Rastafarian, Rastafarian is not just a hairstyle, it's also a culture, it's a religion."
"It just… it just hurts when you know that you're trying your best, in these times, to get your son into school, or kids into school, and then we face this type of discrimination. It's heartbreaking."
And after Pollard made his Facebook post, he received an outpouring of support.
But the general manager of one of the schools, Ladyville Evangelical, is claiming that this whole situation has been blown out of proportion, when it is in actuality, a case of miscommunication.
He told us today that the administrators of the school closed registration on May 19th after accepting 38 students - a number he feels was already too much for the classroom. So he told the vice principal that all other children must be placed on a waiting list - and that's what happened to Pollard's son.
Eutimio Chi, General Manager, UECB Schools
"Now looking into this situation, I don't know the guy, but with due respect, he came one week after, indicating that he desires to enroll his child, which we highly appreciate, but then the situation is - that is what saddens our heart - because we cannot accommodate all the children who would want to. So he was given the information and even the second time he came to submit, it was made clear, that if he agrees, his application would be on the waiting list. And he agreed."
"So we have his child on the waiting list, so if it would be that for any other reason that we are not accepting his child, we would have told him we cannot put you on the waiting list because of this and that."
Chi seems to believe that Pollard misinterpreted the situation after he was given a list of the schools' rules - with one of them stating that boys must have their hair neatly trimmed. But he explained that if Pollard found issue with it, he would have preferred if he would have dialogued with the school's administration.
Eutimio Chi, General Manager, UECB Schools
"We haven't had any problem with this rule, it has been coming way back, but if there is any valid reason that the wording probably might have a wrong connotation, let us talk. Let us discuss, let us follow the procedures."
"To me, it's sad that this person makes a statement like this misleading, because at no point in time was he told that because of this - yes, he did ask, because he was given a copy, and the principal actually took that opportunity to have a friendly discussion, this and that, but it's nothing that, okay, this and that."
Courtney Menzies:
"Just to clarify, if Mr Pollard had come before May 19th, when you were still accepting students, would the child have been allowed into the school as is?"
Eutimio Chi, General Manager, UECB Schools
"Thank you, Miss Menzies, that's a very good question, that is exactly- I mean, it's within the period where they are registering, yes, definitely, because he is the one who saw the rules because when parents come we do not know, especially someone that is new, we do not know what his concern is until that person let us know. And then yes, definitely, that's the reason I'm saying, his child is on the waiting list."
Courtney Menzies:
"So like you said, the school allows different denominations, so Rastafarians would be, they're perfectly fine?"
Eutimio Chi, General Manager, UECB Schools
"Exactly, but we need to dialogue."
Courtney Menzies:
"So it was a situation of miscommunication, you think?"
Eutimio Chi, General Manager, UECB Schools
"Yeah, to me, lack of communication."
So - both sides have different claims, but it is the child's right to an education that's the main focus, and Pollard said that he would be checking with another school in Ladyville, and he hopes for the best.
Pollard noted that other parents have had similar issues with their own children, and feels that the lawmakers of the country should address the problem, seeing that these types of cases have been taken to court time and time again.
The other school Pollard mentioned, Ladyville SDA Primary School, chose not to give a comment.
