Black High School Student Leaves School District Over Hairstyle Punishment, Seeks Return for Senior Year

A Black high school student in Texas is fighting back against his school district’s strict hair policy that led to him being punished for nearly all of his junior year. Darryl George, 18, has left his Houston-area high school in the Barbers Hill school district after being placed on in-school suspension for his hairstyle. However, George is now seeking a temporary restraining order to allow him to return to school for his senior year while a federal lawsuit he filed proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown recently dismissed most of the claims in George’s lawsuit, but allowed the gender discrimination claim to stand. The judge questioned whether the school district’s hair length rule causes more harm than good. George is asking for the restraining order to be able to attend school like a normal teenage student during the litigation process.

The school district defends its dress code, stating that its policies are meant to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for authority. George’s attorney, Allie Booker, stated that the student was forced to unenroll from Barbers Hill High School and transfer to another district due to the emotional distress caused by the in-school suspension.

George’s departure from the school was described as a matter of survival, but he wishes to return as his mother moved to the area for the quality of the district’s schools. The federal lawsuit also alleges that George’s punishment violates the CROWN Act, a state law prohibiting race-based discrimination of hair. The school district’s hair policy has faced challenges in the past, with one student returning to school after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction in a similar case. George’s fight against the school district’s hair policy continues as he seeks justice for himself and other students facing similar discrimination.