On Feb. 22, a judge ruled a school in Texas did not violate the state’s CROWN Act by disciplining a male student over the length of his locs. State District Judge Chap Cain III said the Barbers Hill Independent School District‘s dress and grooming policies were legal. The decision resulted in sighs and gasps by those gathered in the courtroom, according to “NBC News.” The student was 18-year-old Darryl George, who has been in in-school suspension or an off-site disciplinary program for most of the school year. The school’s student handbook states male students’ hair cannot extend past the eyebrows or earlobes.
After the decision, George’s family spokesperson, Candice Matthews, told the press George left the courtroom in tears.
“All because of my hair?” George said, according to Matthews. “I can’t get my education because of my hair. I can’t be around my peers and enjoy my junior year because of my hair.”
Matthews said the family would continue to fight.
George is a junior at a Mont Belvieu, Texas school, about an hour east of Houston. He’s been off-campus since August, when officials said he broke the district’s dress and grooming code.
“We appreciate clarification from the court because it’s an important question,” Sara Leon, a representative for the district, said of the ruling. “We’re glad to understand what the law means.”
