A black Texas teenager has been in and out of
trouble with the high school he attends over his hairstyle.
Darrell George, a student at Barbers Hill High School near
Houston,
has been suspended multiple times and even transferred to an
alternative education program over his hair.
This week. He was immediately suspended again just hours after
returning to school due to his locks,
a style of braided hair.
School administrators have accused George of violating their dress code,
which states that boys are not allowed to wear hairstyles
that would allow the hair to extend below the top
of AT shirt collar,
below the eyebrows or below the earlobes when let down.
George Pence's hair so that it does not reach beyond
those lengths,
but the school argues his hair would exceed the limit
if the pins were taken out.
George's family and other critics of the decision see this
rule as discriminatory toward popular hairstyles within black culture.
The same school was at the center of a similar
controversy in 2020,
where two other black male students were either suspended or
banned from their graduation for hairstyles that violated the dress
code,
attracting public backlash and garnering high profile support of the
students.
This incident eventually led to the passing of the Crown
Act in Texas,
which protects people from discrimination on the basis of hair
texture or protective hairstyle associated with race.
Many claim that the school has now violated the Crown
Act by punishing George,
and his family has even filed A lawsuit against the
school district.
Allie Booker, a lawyer representing the George family,
had this to say during an interview with George's mother
once the Crowd Act started to be instituted in the
United States and they started to see that hair texture
was colored and protective styles was covered.
Then they changed it and they altered their school policy
to now say.
When let down, why would you add a lent requirement
to the dress code?
Because you are still trying to essentially keep out locks,
braid and twit.
Because that someone is going to twist,
lock, or braid their hair.
Essentially, it's going to have to be long enough for
you to do that with.