A judge has ordered that a trial be held next month to determine whether a Black high school student in Texas can continue being punished by his district for refusing to change his hairstyle.

A judge ordered Wednesday that a trial be held next month to determine whether a Black high school student in Texas can continue being punished by his district for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law.

Darryl George, 18, has not been in his regular classroom in Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. Instead, he has either been serving in-school suspension or spending time in an off-site disciplinary program.

His Houston-area school district, Barbers Hill, has said George’s long hair, which he wears in neatly tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates a district dress code that limits hair length for boys. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.

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In the ad, Poole defended his district’s policy and wrote that districts with a traditional dress code are safer and had higher academic performance and that “being an American requires conformity.”

    • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
      6·
      10 months ago

      Yup, Texas schools are authoritarian hell holes.

      It’s not about the hair length. It’s mostly because he’s black, but it’s also about asserting power. .

    • GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world
      4·
      10 months ago

      The length doesn’t matter, the CROWN Act says that districts can’t discriminate against hairstyles that are “commonly or historically associated with race”. His hairstyle has been worn by African Americans for over 400 years. The law doesn’t say that they can discriminate against “commonly or historically associated with race” of a certain length.

      Edit: can to can’t

      • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
        3·
        10 months ago

        the CROWN Act says that districts can discriminate against hairstyles that are “commonly or historically associated with race”.

        • can’t
    • thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world
      2·
      10 months ago

      oh man, is it just me or were pretty much all of the examples in that list absolutely awful looking. not saying the styles they mentioned aren’t fine or good, just their choices for pictures. i hated almost every single one of them, and I’m normally one who likes bolder styles on men… also, the single nod to the existence of black hair halfway through 😅.