A Texas judge recently ruled that a trial will take place for the case of the high school student who was suspended for having locs up to his shoulders.
Announced at a hearing on Wednesday, Chambers County Judge Chap Cain ordered that the trial will be held next month on Feb. 22.
In late August, then 17-year-old Darryl George was suspended from Barbers Hill Independent School in Mont Belvieu, Texas. For months, the student has been on in-school suspension because the school alleges that his hairstyle doesn’t fall within the enforced dress code for students due to its length.
Although the school claims that his suspension will not affect his graduation status, Barbers Hill Independent School has also had George enrolled in an off-site disciplinary program instead of attending daily classes.
A Texas judge has ordered a trial next month to determine whether the Barbers Hill school district can continue to punish Black high school student Darryl George for refusing to change his locs hairstyle. We will be watching and awaiting a decision in this important trial!
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 25, 2024
“I love my hair, it is sacred and it is my strength,” said George in his affidavit per NBC News. “All I want to do is go to school and be a model student. I am being harassed by school officials and treated like a dog.”
With the upcoming trial, the lawsuit will address whether forcing limitations on George’s hair length violates the CROWN Act.
In May of last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the CROWN Act which prevents institutions, such as schools, workplaces and housing policies, from practicing a form of racial discrimination based on a person’s hair-style.
Although a variety of states have also adopted the law, numerous cases have been reported where students, in particular, have still been discriminated against for their hairstyles, violating the CROWN Act.
Earlier this month, on Jan. 4 in New Jersey, a teenage girl from Columbia High School was prevented from entering the basketball court by two white referees during a match because she had beads in her hair.
Per the coach, the student tied her hair three times, but was still not allowed to play due to the referees’ refusal. She was only let back into the game when her coaches drew attention to the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations which permits beads once they’re secured in hair.
In response to the discrimination, Acting Superintendent Kevin F. Gilbert has filed a complaint with the NJSIAA.
The case is now under investigation.
“We look forward to the outcome and hope this moves everyone toward valuing the intent and purpose of the rule changes governing high school sports competition and New Jersey’s CROWN Act,” said Gilbert per a statement.
