The ongoing legal saga involving Darryl George, an 18-year-old Black student from Barbers Hill High School who was disciplined for his locs-style hairstyle, shows no signs of resolution. Despite attempts by George's attorney to have his in-school suspension paused, the student was kept away from his regular classes, the Associated Press reported.
Since August, when school officials claimed that George's hairstyle violated district dress code policies, George's situation has reignited questions surrounding Texas' CROWN Act, a law designed to prevent race-based hair discrimination in schools and workplaces. “But he’s not going to break. He’s strong ... He’s like, ‘I’m not going to cut my hair, but I just can’t believe I’m going through this,’” Allie Booker, George's attorney, told the Associated Press.
The enforcement of the CROWN Act has been called into question, as George's family accuses the school of discriminating against him, and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in September. Barbers Hill Independent School District, however, contends that its policy, which has been in place for decades, is not in violation of the CROWN Act. "Locs have always been permitted," Jonathan Brush, one of the school district's attorneys, stated according to court filings.
Judge Charles R. Eskridge of the U.S. District Court presided over discussions to potentially consolidate separate lawsuits related to the district's hair policy. “It’s very frustrating. It’s just overwhelming because it’s like you just want to get there ... knowing that you’re going to win. Case precedent has been set.
Candice Matthews, a civil rights activist, conveyed a strong message, "The time of totalitarianism, racism, and bullying of our children are over," in a statement she sent to the Houston Chronicle.
State Rep. Ron Reynolds, an author of the CROWN Act, has criticized the Barbers Hill ISD for not operating in good faith and has plans to amend the Act in the next legislative session. However, Barbers Hill ISD has already positioned itself in a legal stance that claims its hair policy, despite controversies and claims of discrimination, adheres to the current CROWN Act legislation.
