Darryl George has been separated from his classmates since last August
Houston:
A black teen who was punished for the way he wore his hair in high school lost his case in court Thursday, with a judge upholding his disciplinary action.
Darryl George, 18, has his hair braided into ropes, called “locs,” that are fastened to his head.
He has been separated from classmates and faced other disciplinary measures at Barbers Hill High School outside Houston since last August because his hairstyle violated the dress code.
The school said his hair was non-compliant because its length “extended below the top of his T-shirt collar, below his eyebrows and/or below his earlobes when hanging down”.
His attorney said the hairstyle is protected by Texas Crown Law, which states that school district policy “shall not discriminate against hair textures or protective hairstyles that are commonly or historically associated with race.” It makes no mention of hair length.
George’s family sued, and Judge Chap Kane said at a court hearing Thursday that Mount Barbers’ policy did not violate that law.
“The CROWN Act does not make illegal the portion of Mount Barbours’ clothing and grooming restrictions that limits the length of male students’ hair,” Kane said, according to the news report.
“It means a lot to me. You know, it’s my roots. It makes me feel closer to my people, closer to my ancestors,” George said before the hearing.
“I started to feel fear for a reason, and it was just to feel closer to my people,” he added.
Mount Barbours High School denies discriminating against teenagers.
His attorney, Allie Booker, announced plans to appeal to federal court.
Candice Matthews, a spokesperson for George’s family, said the boy left the courtroom in tears after the hearing.
“Daryl said something like this, and he told me straight out with tears in his eyes, ‘All because of my hair? I can’t get an education because of my hair? I can’t be around my other peers and enjoy my junior year. , because of my hair?'” Matthews said.
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