N.S. v. H.C. , decided Friday by the California Court of Appeal (Justice Terry O'Rourke, joined by Justices Judith McConnell and Jose Castillo), involved a Sikh ex-husband, a "nonpracticing Christian" ex-wife, and a daughter and son who, "at the time of trial, … were seven and five years old respectively." The chief dispute had to do with whether the children should comply with various Sikh practices, including (1) not cutting their hair, (2) wearing religious bracelets, and (3) for the son, wearing a head covering (a patka ). Here's an excerpt of the analysis as to the cutting of the hair:
The [trial] court concluded, "… The court finds that it is in the best interest of the children to feel comfortable with their hair and the length of the hair. However, the court finds that there have