A judge has ordered a trial next month to determine whether a Black high school student in the Houston area can continue facing punishment from his district for refusing to change a hairstyle protected by a new state law.
Darryl George, 18, has been in in-school suspension or an off-site disciplinary program at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. The school district claims that George’s neatly tied and twisted locs violate the dress code, which limits hair length for boys, while George and his family argue that the style is protected by the CROWN Act, a new Texas law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination.
State District Judge Chap Cain III in Anahuac has set a Feb. 22 trial in the school district’s lawsuit regarding the dress code restrictions. The district maintains that its policies do not violate the CROWN Act, which came into effect in September 2021.
Darryl George expressed his frustration with what he sees as unfair punishment and was relieved to have his day in court. His mother, Darresha George, stood by him during the hearing and expressed disappointment that the judge did not consider granting a temporary restraining order to halt her son’s punishment until the trial.
In an affidavit, Darryl George described the treatment as “cruel” and expressed his love for his hair as something sacred and a source of strength.
Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole defended the district’s policy in a paid ad, asserting that they are not violating the CROWN Act and emphasizing the importance of maintaining high standards for students.
Two lawmakers who co-wrote the Texas version of the CROWN Act, state Reps. Rhetta Bowers and Ron Reynolds, attended the hearing and asserted that the new state law protects Darryl George’s hairstyle.
George’s family has filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the school district, alleging failure to enforce the CROWN Act. The federal lawsuit is currently before a judge in Galveston, Texas. This comes after Barbers Hill’s policy on student hair was previously challenged in a May 2020 federal lawsuit filed by two other students, with one student returning to the high school after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction.
