A student grew his hair out for his sick sister; withdraws from school after being told to cut it

When 11-year-old Maggie Johnson got sick last October, her rural Texas school district rallied behind her. Community members raised $3,000 to offset the fifth grader's medical bills, shipped encouraging cards to the girl, and sent their thoughts and prayers.

In a Facebook post rallying "Pirate Nation," Poth Independent School District officials said Maggie had been diagnosed with Wegener's, a rare autoimmune disease that damages the kidneys, and asked parents and students to pray for the girl known for her "fiery red hair" and "a spunky personality to match."

In the months that followed, Maggie was hospitalized and began receiving intense therapies to manage her illness, reported local TV station WOAI/KABB in Poth, about 35 miles southeast of San Antonio. The dialysis and chemotherapy gave her headaches, made her nauseated and caused her signature locks to start falling out.

Her big brother, 16-year-old Newt Johnson, proposed a solution: He would begin growing out his hair, with the intent of donating it to Locks of Love, in case Maggie eventually needed a wig.

"It made me feel good that I could do something for her," Newt told TV reporter Alejandra Guzman-Tracy.

Locks of Love, an organization that creates wigs from human hair, requires that all donations be at least 10 inches long. But by winter break in December, when Newt's growing hair had passed his ears, the Poth High School principal told the teen he was no longer in compliance with the student handbook hair policies, CNN reported. Male students are not permitted to have hair that surpasses the "ear opening" on the sides of their head nor the "top of a dress shirt collar."

"No 'tails' of any kind will be allowed for male students," according to school policy.

Newt had to cut his hair, school officials said.

But by mid-January, the teen's hair was still growing. On Jan. 21, school officials told CNN they asked Newt's mother, Jamie Mathis-Johnson, to pick him up from school and make an appointment.

"It really stressed me out because I already worried about my sister," Newt told WOAI/KABB.

The family initially challenged the policy, but declined an invitation to escalate the issue to the superintendent's office, CNN reported. Instead, Newt decided to withdraw and be home-schooled.

News of the conflict between the Johnsons and the school district over the hair policy were first reported by WOAI/KABB last week, prompting a backlash in the community that led school officials to write a now-deleted Facebook post criticizing the TV station.

Superintendent Paula Renken said there is an annual process outlined in the student handbook to formally challenge the dress code. The review takes place at the start of a new school year, when the school board makes changes to district guidelines. Renken defended the high school principal and said he was doing his job when he enforced the school's hair policy.

"I am Poth Proud to lead this high performing district that reflects the morals, beliefs and goals of the community of Poth," Renken wrote in the Facebook post. "Proudly flying flags, arming school staff for student safety, drug testing students, enforcing a conservative dress code, prayer, faith and family are traits of Poth supported in the actions of the elected school board, administration and staff."

"It was never about not supporting a sick child," Renken wrote.

The school district did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

Alan Johnson, Newt and Maggie's father, said in an interview with WOAI/KABB that Newt's commitment to his sister would "make any dad proud."

“Listen to your kids, if they really believe in something, even if it does go against the rules, sometimes you just have to dig deep see if it’s really worth it or not,” Johnson told the TV station. “It’s worth it.”