When I first heard about Jaden refusing to remove his hat, I assumed it was a routine dress-code issue. Just another Tuesday morning — coffee cooling on my desk, papers stacked high, the sleepy hum of middle school settling into its day. Then the phone rang. “Can you come down to my classroom?” the teacher asked, her voice uneasy. “It’s Jaden. He won’t take off his hat. I don’t think this is about the rules.” I knew Jaden. Quiet. Respectful. The kind of kid who never drew attention. If he was pushing back, something was wrong. When I entered the… CONTINUE READING…