In light of the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, Darryl George and his legal team have pressed on with an appeal to challenge Barbers Hill Independent School District's dress code. According to the Houston Chronicle, they're seeking to overturn a lower court's decision that sided with the district's policy, which includes hair length restrictions conflicting with the CROWN Act. Attorney Dylan Drummond spoke optimistically in June about persuading the First Court of Appeals to reverse the ruling.

Last month's appellate brief highlighted Governor Greg Abbott's support for the CROWN Act, evidenced by a June 12, 2023 post stating "no Texan should face discrimination based on their natural hair." This underpins the assertion that the law intended to prevent policies that students “should not be required to … change [their hair’s] … appearance or otherwise divest themselves of their cultural identity in order to adapt or be seen as deserving of opportunities in schools,” as explained by documents from George's attorneys, shared by the decidedly mired in their determination to combat the district's grooming code. Houston Chronicle.

US District Judge Jeffrey Brown recently allowed a sex discrimination claim to continue against the district while dismissing other allegations from the lawsuit. As reported by Hoodline, Brown recognized George's dreadlocks as "an outward expression of his Black identity and culture," yet he found insufficient evidence of racial discrimination toward enforcing the grooming policy. Superintendent Greg Poole stands by the school's policies, which have been influenced by the community and a locally elected board for over 95 years.

While George's prior school year was punctuated by suspensions for his hairstyle, it's unclear how the pending legal issues will affect his upcoming term. The larger discourse this case contributes to has stirred the Texas Legislative Black Caucus to consider revising the CROWN Act. Barbers Hill's stance on hair length has moved to another court, with the Texas student's sex discrimination claim serving as a key example in gender equality legal battles. This case could potentially influence how cultural hairstyles are accepted in academic and professional settings.

Previously, a federal lawsuit unrelated to George's case received a temporary injunction indicative of possible violations of free speech and discrimination laws. The outcome remains active, telling a tale of the continued scrutiny of dress and grooming policies within educational institutions, as per a report by Hoodline.