dread of a school principal, it was claimed yesterday.

For a Sandys Secondary School pupil claimed school boss Melvyn Bassett was making life a misery for students who sport Rasta-style dreadlocks.

The teenager said: "People are getting discriminated against because of their hairstyles.

"About ten pupils are studying religion. They're starting to let their hair grow and Mr. Bassett is getting them into his office every five minutes and saying if they don't do something about it, they've got to go home.'' The claims came only days after it was announced that Mr. Bassett was to take legal action against a student who took a swing at him in a row over dreadlocks at the school's graduation ball in June.

Kiwon Butterfield punched Mr. Bassett at the Sonesta Beach Hotel ceremony after his name was not called along with other graduates.

School governors later said that it had been agreed with the pupil and his mother Debbie Butterfield that he would only be allowed to take part in the formal ceremony if his dreadlocks were covered.

But Mr. Butterfield claimed he was being discriminated against on religious grounds and his mother lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, claiming her son had been picked on because of his Rastafarianism.

The Butterfields were backed by the teenager, who is still a pupil at the school.

He said: "I'm very disappointed the school are making something out of this -- I've got a similar hairstyle and me and others are being discriminated against because of that situation.

"My parents think the same way -- they say the whole thing doesn't make sense. I sit in school every day and I know what's going on.'' Both Mr. Bassett and board of governors chairman Eugene Cox MP said after the incident that the school recognised dreadlocks and other hairstyles as legitimate expressions of religious and cultural beliefs.

But they said the rules for the ball had been set out and agreed well in advance.

Mr. Butterfield apologised to parents, guests and fellow pupils for disrupting the ceremony.

But he refused to apologise to Mr. Bassett until the principal apologised for his alleged discrimination.

The school board have given full backing to Mr. Bassett's announcement he was to seek legal redress and commended his handling of the issue.

But the current pupil said: "I don't think it was right to hit him but respect goes both ways.

"If he'd been allowed to show his locks it would never have happened. The fact that Kiwon is not apologising until Mr. Bassett apologises is right.'' Mr. Bassett did not return calls from The Royal Gazette yesterday.