Darryl George, a Houston high school student, sued the Barbers Hill Independent School District for suspending him for months over his long natural locs hairstyle. Today, State District Judge Chap B. Cain III ruled that such racist stupidity is A-OK according to the law. Specifically, the judge argued that the recently-passed Texas CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) doesn't constitutionally protect George from adhering to the school dress code that limits the length of male students.
"Darryl… told me this straight up with tears in his eyes, 'All because of my hair? I can't get my education because of hair? I cannot be around other peers and enjoy my junior year, because of my hair?'" said Candice Matthews, a spokesperson for George and his family.
From CNN:
Matthews said that George will continue to serve in-school suspension and that his attorneys plan to file for an injunction in an upcoming federal civil rights lawsuit.Barbers Hill Independent School District Superintendent Greg Poole said the ruling "validated our position that the district's dress code does not violate the CROWN Act and that the CROWN Act does not give students unlimited self-expression."
"The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that affirmative action is a violation of the 14th Amendment and we believe the same reasoning will eventually be applied to the CROWN Act," he said.
Poole previously told CNN "hair length of male students is only constitutionally protected for Native American students."
From the New York Times:
[Darresha] George and her son filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in September against Texas' governor, Greg Abbott, who signed the law, and the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, saying they allowed the school to violate the act.
Their lawsuit is seeking a temporary order to stop Darryl's suspension while the case moves through the federal court system, and accuses Mr. Abbott and Mr. Paxton of "purposely or recklessly" causing Ms. George and Darryl emotional distress by not intervening[…]
The family's lawsuit said Mr. George wears locs as an "expression of cultural pride" and claims that his protections under the federal Civil Rights Act are being violated because the dress code policy disproportionately affects Black male students.
