Teen Removed from Fort Worth City Council Over Hair Length
A 17-year-old Air Force Academy appointee was ordered to leave a Fort Worth, Texas city council chambers on May 24, 2022 because his hair was over the ear, based on a decades-old dress code. Video went viral; Mayor Mattie Parker apologized and the city ended the enforcement.
Kieran Moise attended the council meeting to be recognized for his appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Marshals cited a 1960s-era city-hall dress code prohibiting men's hair below the ear and asked him to leave; he was recognized outside chambers. The incident, captured on the city's own livestream, drew national coverage. Mayor Mattie Parker publicly apologized, called the rule outdated, and the city announced it would no longer enforce the hair provisions. No charges were filed. No First Amendment lawsuit was filed, but civil-liberties commentators cited the incident as viewpoint-neutral but expressively suspect government conduct in a limited public forum.