Republican legislators in West Virginia recently prevented the consideration of a bill that would have banned hair discrimination in the state.
On Feb. 28, they decided that the CROWN Act would not be weighed, choosing instead to proceed with other proposals.
According to NBC, Republican Sen. Eric Tarr had pulled the bill five days prior and taken it to the Senate Finance Committee. As the head of the committee, he allowed the bill to sit, allegedly claiming that lawsuits stemming from the law would be too expensive for the state to afford.
The decision to send the bill to the Senate Finance Committee came a week after it was approved and advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Democratic Sen. Mike Caputo, the legislator who introduced the latest iteration of the CROWN Act, emphasized the need to implement the bill to change the U.S., highlighting the importance of re-introducing the act after he retires.
“We hear horror stories all the time about how, particularly women of color, are treated differently because of their hairstyle, their natural hairstyle, or their traditional hairstyles,” said Caputo per NBC. “I’m ashamed that in West Virginia we can’t at least do that much.”
The announcement that the CROWN Act is no longer being taken into consideration comes weeks after a student’s suspension for the length of his locs was upheld by a Texas judge.
Signed @thecrownact petition to #PassTheCROWN already? Thank you for using your voice 🙌 If not, you can join the movement and sign the petition at the link in bio 🔗 pic.twitter.com/k7lxXnLcMu
— The CROWN Act (@thecrownact) February 16, 2024
According to State District Judge Chap Cain III, the Barbers Hill Independent School District didn’t violate the CROWN Act which was put into effect in 2023.
Although the student, Darryl George, has been on in-school suspension for his hair length, the judge ruled that the policy doesn’t “prohibit nor does it discriminate against male students who wear braids, locs, or twists.”
Since August, George has been on in-school suspension and forced to attend an off-site disciplinary program because of the length of his hair.
Moving forward, the family reportedly plans to appeal the judge’s latest decision.
The case surrounding the student has drawn attention with multiple advocates speaking out in support of George.
Most recently, the Congressional Black Caucus invited George to attend the State of the Union Address as a guest to highlight the hair discrimination many Black Americans are faced with on a daily basis.
“There is no sound justification for the way the Barbers Hill Independent School District is treating Darryl George,” said the Chairman of the CBC, Rep. Steven Horsford, in a statement.“The CBC stands in full support of Darryl’s personal right to wear his hair the way he chooses, and we are calling for the Barbers Hill Independent School District to end this discriminatory farce and immediately allow him to return to the classroom and receive his education.”
