Judge upholds Texas school’s suspension of student over hair

Texas State District Judge Chap Cain III on Thursday ruled that the Barbers Hill Independent School District did not violate the state code for student dress and grooming. High school junior Darryl George had insisted the state violated the law when it suspended him from school for keeping his hair long, in locs tied and twisted on top of his head.

What does the CROWN Act do? The law, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last year, requires that school districts not discriminate against a “hair texture or protective hairstyle commonly or historically associated with race.” The school district’s “Dress and Grooming” policy for high school students says boys’ hair should not extend below the eyebrows, ear lobes, or the top of a T-shirt collar.

How did this end up getting to court? George has been in in-school suspension or at an off-site disciplinary program since August after the school district took issue with his grooming. The school district sued to have the matter decided in court. George’s legal team insists that the school district violated the CROWN Act by discriminating against a hairstyle associated with people who are black. George and his mother’s attorney, Allie Booker, have also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Is there any legal precedent for these cases? In 2020, a different judge, U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr., sided with another black student in a similar case, also against the Barbers Hill School District.

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