Auckland Grammar student James Hunt takes school to court after stand-down for long hair
James Hunt, who is in Year 9, was stood down for a day last week after refusing to cut his hair. The school's rules state that students' hair must not touch the collar. James last cut his hair in January to allow him to begin school. The 13-year-old wore his hair long in memory of his grandfather Paul Hunt, who died a day before he was born and was once expelled from school for his long hair. James has employed lawyer Jol Bates to challenge Auckland Grammar's rule. Bates successfully defended St John's College student Lucan Battison in 2014 after the then-16 year-old was suspended for long hair. That judgement said schools need needed to consider "whether or not any hair rule would breach a student's right to autonomy, individual dignity and his rights to freedom of expression affirmed by Section 14 of the NZ Bill of Rights Act". Bates said there was "no evidence whatsoever" that James' hair length was causing a harmful or dangerous example to his fellow students. He said in the St John's College case, their rules were struck down by the judge on the basis that they were uncertain and vague.
But the judgement did not clarify whether the school rules breached students' human rights or were unlawful. He hoped that James Hunt's case would provide an opportunity to clarify this. "The judgement gave a tailwind to the idea that the rule was unlawful, but did not go that far," he said. Auckland Grammar has refused to budge on its rules. Principal Tim O'Connor said earlier this year that the rules were "regularly canvassed, reviewed and discussed with our school community, who do support our approach". James' mother Heidi Hunt once said they would not go to Auckland Grammar if he was forced to cut his hair. But the family changed plans, saying the school was the only one they were zoned for. James had always had long hair, his mother said. "It's who he is."
James said in January that he wanted to go to Auckland Grammar because it had a good cricket coach.
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Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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63.3% Summer
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35.4% Winter
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
New Year, New Questions You Won’t Solve!
I get smaller every time I take a bath.
What am I?
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What it feels like speaking with a MAGA American:
Me: “Your total is $44.19. Cash or card?”
The customer hands me a credit card but the chip inside it has been hole-punched out.
Me: “Uh, I don’t think this will work.”
Customer: “Why not? It hasn’t expired and I have money in my account.”
Me: “Sir… the chip is gone.”
Customer: “I didn’t want the chip.”
Me: “The card won’t work without it.”
Customer: “It just means I can’t enter my PIN, but you can still swipe it.”
Me: “I don’t think it will work, sir.”
Customer: “Just swipe it.”
I swipe it to prove a point.
Me: “It’s not working, sir.”
Customer: “Then you’re doing it wrong. Swipe it again!”
I do so again with the same result.
Customer: “Maybe you should swipe it so that the magnetic strip isn’t the thing being swiped?”
Me: *Swiping it as suggested.* “Sure, why not? About as much chance of it going through without the magnetic strip as there is without the chip – oh look, it didn’t work.”
Customer: “Your machine must be broken!”
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