In 2021, 4-year-old Jett Hawkins was told that his braids (and then his ponytail) were in violation of the dress code policy at his school in Chicago. Jett's mother, Ida Nelson, who initially worked with Jett's school on a handbook policy that was decades old, began raising awareness regarding the impact stigmatizing children's hair can have on educational development. Jett's mother advocated that hair is an extension of who individuals are as a race and is deeply connected to cultural identity. Senate Bill 817, sponsored by Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), was signed into law on Aug. 13, 2021.
Public Act 102-0360
, known as the Jett Hawkins Law, prevents school boards, local school councils, charter schools, and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools from creating hairstyle-based dress code requirements. Specifically, the Public Act prohibits discrimination against hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists. Schools that do not comply with this law, which took effect Jan. 1, 2022, risk losing recognition status from ISBE.
In June 2026,
Senate Bill 3361 was signed into law, expanding the protections of the Jett Hawkins Law to include students' and school employees' rights to wear religious hairstyles, hair-related practices, and facial hair in line with their religious beliefs.
Also known as the Religious Hair and Facial Hair Protections Act, Senate Bill 3361 helps ensure that students and school employees are not forced to choose between following their sincerely held religious beliefs and complying with school grooming or dress code policies. By protecting religious hairstyles, hair practices, and facial hair, the law promotes religious freedom, inclusion, and equal treatment in educational settings. The law also provides clear guidance to schools, helping prevent discrimination based on religious appearance practices while allowing people of different faiths to participate fully in school life without being singled out or penalized for their beliefs.
