Munro finally accepts Rastafarian boy - Decision averts court action

Erica Virtue and Barbara Gayle, staff reporters

Munro College in St. Elizabeth which refused to admit 11-year-old Cascade Chin-Young at that boarding institution because of his plaited hairstyle, averted court action against it, when it reversed its decision last week.

But, as a condition for his admittance, the boy must wear his hair combed in one.

The decision by the school came last Wednesday - a week before the school was to answer to the courts, as to its refusal to accept the 11-year-old Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) awardee.

Officials from the Ministry of Education and Munro College met and discussed the matter, which saw the youngster not attending school since the new academic year began almost a month ago.

But, although the school will now accept him, lawyers representing his family will be going to court this week, to force the school to provide boarding accommodation for him.

Attorneys, Arthur Kitchin and Michael Lorne, who are representing the boy and his mother, will be taking the issue to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to compel the school to find boarding accommodation for him.

On Friday, Mr. Lorne said for the boy to attend Munro College it would cost more money to board him outside.

He said since the school authorities say they have no boarding space then they should find space outside to board him and pay any additional expenses for boarding.

"The boy lives in Kingston and took the GSAT for Munro College because his mother wanted him to board in the rural area. The boy's mother had paid the boarding fees and the school had faxed the acceptance," Mr. Lorne said.

He said since the school was saying there was no space to board the boy "we we are saying it is the school's fault so they should find space to put him."

When the boy attended school earlier this month school officials had turned him away because of his hairstyle.

'Backward step'

Mr. Lorne said they were objecting to his hair which was not even "locks". The boy's parents are of the Rastafarian faith but they did not locks his hair to avoid confrontations.

The boy is also a Rastafarian, Mr. Lorne said.

There is precedent for Chin-Young's case.

According to Mr. Lorne in 1983, Kirk Johnson was refused entry in Camperdown High School because he wore a dreadlocked hairstyle.

Johnson's case went before the Supreme Court and Justice Paul Harrison ruled that it was un-constitutional to prevent a child's entry to a Government school because of his locks.

"It is a backward step for us to be going to court 18 years later on the same issue," Mr. Lorne said.

Mr. Kitchin said that when Chin-Young was refused entry to the school, they had filed a motion in the Supreme Court seeking an order to say it was un-constitutional to turn away the boy because of his religion.

According to him, since the school now agrees to admit him, he will have to change the order and instead seek damages.

Back to News