When a representative from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School visited Danielle Cook's class, the eighth-grader thought she fit the criteria for the rigorous, college preparatory high school in Baltimore. - baltimoresun.com

When a representative from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School visited Danielle Cook's class, the eighth-grader thought she fit the criteria for the rigorous, college preparatory high school in Baltimore. - baltimoresun.com: When a representative from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School visited Danielle Cook's class, the eighth-grader thought she fit the criteria for the rigorous college preparatory high school in Baltimore. She has been a straight-A student since preschool, is at the top of her class at Afya Public Charter School and participates in a half-dozen extracurricular activities.

Then the representative described the school's dress code and its hairstyle restrictions, and Danielle realized something other than academics could keep her from attending: the 75 dreadlocks framing her face.

"I was hurt," Danielle said. "I like my hair. It's me. It's nobody else."

The school's policy didn't prevent her from applying, she was told, but it would prevent her from attending — unless she cut the dreadlocks or combed them out. After inquiries from The Baltimore Sun on Monday, a spokeswoman at Cristo Rey said administrators had decided to abandon its dreadlocks policy.