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A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Black high school student who was suspended for wearing locs, per BET.
Darryl George, a student at Barbers Hill High School in Texas, was initially pulled from the classroom in August 2023 for wearing his hair in dreadlocks rolled into a bun. The school’s dress code prohibits male students from wearing hair that extends below the eyebrows, ear lobes, or shirt collar, even if the style is tied up.
George's family filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Texas governor and attorney general, along with the Barbers Hill Independent School District, alleging discrimination.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown ruled in favor of the district and dismissed the case with prejudice, preventing George from refiling the same claims in federal court.
“The court understands George’s position well. Nevertheless, the district remains entitled to summary judgment. End of story,” Brown wrote.
Initially, the court allowed a sex discrimination claim to proceed after rejecting George’s race-based claims. However, Brown ultimately sided with the district, saying the rules were “substantially related to career readiness” and within the bounds of legal dress code distinctions based on sex.
Though the federal case is closed, George's attorneys are appealing a separate state court ruling that upheld the school’s hair-length policy. Earlier this year, State District Judge Chap Cain III ruled that the dressing and grooming policies set by Barbers Hill Independent School District don't violate the CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination at school and work. The CROWN Act became law in Texas in September of last year.
Superintendent Greg Poole said the federal ruling “vindicates our district" from discrimination claims.
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