A Texas High School needs to hurry up and get with the times because their latest move to suspend a Black student over his locs is causing massive outrage.
Darryl George, who is a junior at Barbers Hill High School had to face another suspension over his hairstyle. George, 17, served the first suspension earlier this month at the Houston-area school. When he returned last Monday with his hair twisted and tied to the back of his head, he was left in tears after he was sent back to in-school suspension. School officials claimed his dreadlocks fell below his eyebrows and ear lobes and because of that it violated the district’s dress code. The policy goes on to state, “Male students’ hair must not extend below the top of a t-shirt collar or be gathered or worn in a style that would allow the hair to extend below the top of a t-shirt collar, below the eyebrows, or below the ear lobes when let down.”
However, his punishment happened the same week the CROWN Act went into effect in his state. As we previously reported, The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is a law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle or hair texture. It specifically aims to protect individuals who face discrimination due to their natural hairstyles, such as afros, braids, twists, or locks. The CROWN Act acknowledges that natural hair is an inherent part of a person’s racial, ethnic, and cultural identity, and seeks to ensure that people are not penalized or treated unfairly because of it.
In addition to his hair, George was also reprimanded by a school official for wearing frayed jeans, which are also prohibited. While speaking with CNN, his mother, Darresha George said the school told the 17-year-old he could change his clothes, but he would also have to cut his hair. When the teen refused to cut his hair, he was then put on in-school suspension.
As a result of trying to stay true to himself while embracing his culture, he now faces being placed in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, also known as alternative school, if he doesn’t cut his hair.
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Darresha says she has since confronted the school and told officials that she believes their policies were in violation of the CROWN Act, which went into effect on the 1st. However, she said officials told her the law does not apply to limitations on hair length.
“I want to see their policy change and stop being discriminatory against Black kids. I want to see my son out of ISS (in-school suspension). I don’t want any other child that’s coming behind my son to go through this again,” she said.
As difficult as this is for her teen son and their family who has been wearing locs for years, Ms. Darresha said her son will not cut his locs and the family will continue to fight the school’s policy.
Darresha George said her family has hired a lawyer and they’re now considering legal action.