Nader Barrak, husband of former Miss Uganda Dorah Mwima, took to Facebook to accuse The North Green School for racism towards their 14-year-old son, Ethan.
Barrak’s allegations focus on the school’s strict and allegedly discriminatory hair policies, which he claims are unfairly enforced against Ugandan students while foreign students are allowed more leniency.
Ethan, who’s biologically a son to the late Mowzey Radio, has reportedly faced ongoing harassment from teachers and administrators at The North Green School due to his hairstyle.
Nader Barrak states that Ethan has been singled out, asked to leave class, and made to wait outside for over an hour because his hair was not cut to the school’s mandated short length, described as “almost bald, army style.”
The issue began when Barrak observed two foreign students at the school flaunting hairstyles that did not align to these rules. Disappointed by the apparent double standard, Barrak took a photo of one of the boys and noted that while Ugandan students were forced to adhere to strict haircuts, foreign students were given more freedom.
Reflecting on the school’s policies, Barrak recalled that when Ethan first enrolled, he had dreadlocks, which the school asked to be cut, citing “Christian values.” Nader Barrak found this reasoning shallow, arguing that the policies seemed more similar to colonial practices meant to dehumanize and sever ties with African culture.
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Initially, Barrak complied with the school’s rules, teaching Ethan to respect them despite their unfairness. However, witnessing the preferential treatment given to foreign students made him to reconsider.
He offered Ethan the choice to keep his hair as it was or to grow back his dreadlocks, and Ethan chose the latter. Barrak instructed Ethan to resist cutting his hair until the foreign students were held to the same standard.
In a meeting with the head of secondary, Barrak was told that the leniency towards foreign students was a cultural consideration. Barrak countered by saying Ethan’s Lebanese heritage and cultural right to longer hair. The school’s response was firm: if Ethan did not cut his hair, he would not be allowed to attend school.
In the post, Barrak condemned The North Green School for its discriminatory practices. He argued that the school’s policies fostered a sense of inferiority among Ugandan students while privileging foreign students, a situation he found unacceptable for an institution meant to provide a fair education.
The North Green School issued a statement acknowledging the situation but maintained their commitment to applying the rules fairly. The school did not provide further details on how they planned to address the discrepancies highlighted by Barrak.
