HOWE -- Some students and parents in Howe are up in arms after disciplinary referrals were handed out for the length of student's hair.

Howe students say about thirty male high school students and about twenty middle school students were sent to the office on Friday and given disciplinary referrals saying if they didn't cut their hair before Tuesday, they would face in-school suspension.

Howe ISD superintendent Kevin Wilson said those numbers are exaggerated but refused to give a more accurate figure.

Howe school policy states male students cannot have hair below their collar or ear lobe. Students we spoke to say administrators typically enforce the dress code with students one at a time, but rarely on a large scale.

Wilson says each case is different, but they are following district policy.

Now some parents are asking for a change in that rule.

"I'm not saying they should have mohawks or have red hair or green hair. I'm just saying they should be able to be in style if that's what they want to be. It should be their choice, just like it is with girls," said parent Tracy Allen.

Wilson would not give an answer why multiple students were disciplined on the same issue a month before the end of the semester.

He says campus principals are in charge of enforcing the rules, and their policy is established.
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Some Howe parents say they plan to ask the school board to reconsider the policy at their meeting scheduled for next week.