Ex-secondary pupils launch damages claims against Hong Kong schools alleging hair rules discriminated between boys and girls
- Nathan Lam, 18, says the ‘only, or perhaps the relatively effective way’ to deal with the problem was through the courts
- Lam and Ecarret Wong, also 18, say the problem affects pupils still at school and they hoped to encourage others to challenge rules
Two former secondary pupils have launched legal action to claim damages from their old schools in Hong Kong for emotional distress caused by the enforcement of short hair rules for boys.
They have alleged discriminatory treatment in separate civil suits, despite the dismissal of earlier complaints made to the city’s equality watchdog.
The pair, who were at different schools, on Wednesday filed the claims in court, alleging the hair rules breached the sex and disability discrimination laws.
“Over time, we still receive a lot of messages [from students] telling us [of] their helplessness in facing school rules,” said Nathan Lam Chak-chun, 18, a former pupil at Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Fut Nam College.
“Facing the halt of investigations, we are quite helpless. We figure that the only, or perhaps the relatively effective way, to address this citywide issue is through court proceedings.”
Lam, who uses “she” and “her” personal pronouns, has gender dysphoria – a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity – but was forced to get a haircut last June under intense pressure from the school.
