EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WAND) - The ACLU asked Effingham schools to reverse a policy banning du-rags after a student was asked to remove theirs. 

The mother of the 17-year-old student, Nancy Marschewski, started pushing for the district to make a change after school officials asked her son to take off the du-rag earlier in 2021. She said he had spent hours braiding his hair after he wasn't able to see a hairstylist, who was not taking appointments in the pandemic. 

She added he was trying to get the hair out of his face and was "trying to encourage growth." She said "that is part of the process of doing the braids or twists" and this issue was "about hair health and hair hygiene." 

In a March meeting, the school board talked about changing policy but ended up with a split vote, leading them to decide to have more discussions. Marschewski talked to the board and told them why she felt there needed to be a change. 

The assistant principal of the high school at the time said the board shouldn't change the policy because headwear in a public building doesn't show respect. He also expressed concerns with safety. 

Board members had asked questions, including whether or not banning du-rags could be considered under policies of cultural and religious exemptions. 

"Isn't that kind of like discriminating against the children of color,” board vice-president Jane Willenborg asked in the meeting. “This isn't something they aren't going to do every day or all year long. If they don't get their hair done this year, they won't ever wear it."

An ACLU letter sent in late April said the district's rule raises issues when the "overwhelmingly white facility" allows other students to wear baseball caps and bandanas. 

“Enforcing Section 9.20 of Effingham High School’s Student Handbook, Personal Habits and Dress Code, against students of color who wear du-rags is discriminatory,” the letter said “This policy should be changed.

"A du-rag is a piece of cloth, worn primarily by Black men and people of color, that protects, moisturizers, and maintains hairstyle," the ACLU went on to say. "More importantly, the du-rag holds cultural meaning for many in the Black community. The letter notes that banning a du-rag as prohibited headwear fails to recognize its purpose and cultural importance for people of color and raises serious concerns under anti-discrimination laws."

The ACLU cited 2019-20 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which showed Effingham High School had only six Black students out of 754. They said it is "critical" that the Effingham school board change policies "to recognize the needs of this minority group and make their policies inclusive for everyone."

Click here to read the full ACLU letter.