A black Texas high school student was informed he would not be able to return to school or attend his graduation ceremony unless he cuts his dreadlocks — so Ellen invited him on the show and gave him $20,000.
DeAndre Arnold who is a senior at Barbers Hill High School, shared with Ellen how he was suspended over the length of his dreadlocks and informed by his principal how he needed to cut his hair to return to school.
“You get good grades,” DeGeneres said. “You’ve never been in trouble, ever. This is the first time anything has come up. And now, you haven’t been in school for weeks because of this situation.”
Arnold then revealed how he has worn dreadlocks for years and has always followed the dress code as he kept his hair off his shoulders, above his earlobes and out of his eyes, by tying up his dreadlocks. He then told DeGeneres he was told he was in violation of the dress code after Christmas break.
“Every day I would go to school, I would be in dress code,” he revealed to DeGeneres. “But the thing with them is, if it was let down, I would be out of dress code.”
Ellen then responded with a hefty check of $20,000 to go towards his college fund along with a message for his school’s staff. Watch below!