Most of the time, boys have short hair and girls have longer hair. But that doesn’t mean that’s the way it has to be all of the time. In fact, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a boy having long hair or a girl having short hair. At all. Ever.

But alas, some people still go by old-time stereotypes. One 4-year-old boy, Michael, was singled out at his East Texas school because of his long hair.

In fact, the superintendent of the school told the boy’s grandmother that he HAD to cut his hair or wear it up, otherwise he’d be required to wear a dress to school. And not only that, he’d have to tell people that he was girl if someone asked.

Yes, you read that correctly.

“I was told that I needed to see the principal, so I went to the principal’s office where she explained to me that my grandson’s hair was too long,” the grandmother, Randi Woodley, said. “The superintendent then gave me three options. He told me that I could either cut it, braid it and pin it up, or put my grandson in a dress and send him to school, and when prompted, my grandson must say he’s a girl.”

The superintendent says they’re just following their district’s dress code, which states a male’s hair can’t go past the top of a t-shirt collar.

Woodley can’t believe this is any kind of policy at all: “We shouldn’t even be talking about this at any age because hair has nothing to do with learning,” she said.

Woodley isn’t the first to endure this type of treatment. Another parent, Kambryn Cox, was told that her son, who has dreadlocks, couldn’t even have his hair in a ponytail.

The superintendent has yet to comment on the issue, but Woodley and Cox plan to fight to have the policy changed.

To hear more on the issue, check out the video below.

Can you believe there are rules so strict about hair length? What would you do if your child’s school told you your child couldn’t have their hair at a certain length?