By: Laquita Thomas
Judge Rules School District Can Enforce Hair Policy In Spite of The CROWN Act..
In August of 2023, Barbers Hill Independent School District (ISD) located in Anahuac, Texas, outside of Houston, punished one of its students 18-year-old Darryl George for having long locs because they violated the school dress code. The code in part states the following.
Male students’ hair will not extend, at any time, below the eyebrows or below the ear lobes. 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.
Darryl George (who wore his locs in an ends tucked in barrel roll style), was suspended and sent to an off-site disciplinary program for the remainder of the school year. He has spent most of his junior year at Barbers Hill ISD separated from his classmates, has also been allegedly denied hot food, and isn’t able to access teaching materials. Again, for having long locs.
“I am being harassed by school officials and treated like a dog,” George said. “I am being subjected to cruel treatment and a lot of unkind words from many adults within the school including teachers, principals, and administrators,” he added.
In 2020, the same school district made national headlines when it ordered two students, De’Andre Arnold and Kaden Bradford (cousins) to cut their locs or face suspension, and it also sent 36 male students to in-school suspension on the first day of school for violating its policy on hair length.
Their cases gained support from across the country, and first drew nationwide attention to Barber Hill ISD’s policy. At that time, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, stopping the district from enforcing the policy. Although litigation in those cases is ongoing, it did play a role in Texas signing the CROWN Act into law on May 27, 2023.
First introduced in California in January 2019, by Senator Holly J. Mitchell and signed into law on July 3, 2019, the inaugural CROWN Act expanded the definition of race in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Code to ensure protection in workplaces and K-12 public and charter schools.
The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots.
On February 22, 2024, in a Texas district court, lawyers for Barbers Hill ISD argued that lawmakers would have included explicit language about hair length had they intended the law to cover it. Allie Booker, representing Darryl George and his mother Darresha George, stated that protective styles are only possible with long hair.
Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the co-authors of the CROWN Act testified that hair length was not specifically discussed when the CROWN Act was proposed but “length was inferred with the very nature of the style.” He said that, “Anyone familiar with braids, locs, twists knows it requires a certain amount of length.”
District court Judge Chap B. Cain III, ruled that Barbers Hill did not violate the state's CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination on hair. Ruling that Barbers Hill school district can limit the length of male students’ hair.
After the ruling, Darryl George stated “It was just sad” that the school district was punishing him over his hairstyle. He stated that his hair is “how I feel closer to my people. It’s how I feel closer to my ancestors. It’s just me. It’s how I am.” Also after the ruling, Texas Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, posted the following on her social media page...
"I am profoundly disappointed by the court ruling in the Darryl George case today. The CROWN Act was crafted with the intention of protecting individuals from discrimination based on their natural hair texture and styles, and this ruling undermines the very essence of that purpose.
Darryl George's case serves as a poignant reminder of the systemic injustices that persist in our society, particularly when it comes to issues of race and personal expression.
No one should ever be made to feel inferior or face barriers in education or employment due to their hairstyle. The CROWN Act was a crucial step forward in our ongoing fight against racial discrimination, yet this ruling demonstrates that our work is far from over. We must continue to push for legislative reforms and societal shifts that promote inclusivity, diversity, and respect for all individuals.
As the author of the CROWN Act, I remain committed to advocating for policies that uphold the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of their race or hairstyle. We cannot allow discriminatory practices to go unchecked, and we must hold ourselves accountable to creating a more just and equitable society for future generations.”
“Our work will be tested by fire and is very far from being over - our work will continue and we will come out victoriously!”
Sources:
Associated Press
Barber Hill ISD website
Houston Chronicle
Reuters