An Equality Officer found that a secondary school discriminated against a male student by requiring him to cut his hair while female students were not subject to the same restriction. The decision, dated 3 February 2009, ordered the school to pay €1,000 for the upset and distress caused.
The student said he was suspended for a few days after declining repeated requests to cut his hair. The school said its teachers were applying grooming and hair-length rules. The officer found the rule restricted male students’ freedom to determine their appearance beyond school and placed a disproportionate burden on them.
The student also alleged that a teacher harassed him during a confrontation about his hair. The school denied harassment, and the officer found insufficient evidence to support that complaint.