As said by a Texas judge on Thursday, Black students who wear long hair can be punished in Barbers Hill Independent School District without violating Texas’ new CROWN Act. Texas’ CROWN Act works to prevent hairstyle discrimination in schools and workplaces.
This decision is taken after a long time of disputes between the district and Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School who was sent on suspension in August due to his hair in long locs. The law passed last year by legislators called the Texas CROWN Act in which discrimination is prohibited on the basis of hair texture or protective styles related to race; the protective style includes locs, braids, and twists.
Besides this act, the Barbers Hill school successfully argued for the district to enforce its policy to prohibit males from wearing hair that extends beyond their eyebrows, earlobes, or collars. Their policy also prohibited male students to gather their hairs on the top of their head.
After a short trial, Judge Chap B. Cain III has issued the policy to the school. In this trial lawyers for opposing sides argued over the legislative intent behind the CROWN Act. Lawyers for Barbers Hill said lawmakers would have included explicit language about hair length had they intended the law to cover it. Allie Booker supported Darryl George and his mother Darresha George that the protective styles are only possible with long hair.
The superintendent of the Barbers Hill school district, Greg Poole declined about this issue in an interview after the decision came out but he applauded the decision.
Poole also said that the Texas legal system has validated our position that the district’s dress code does not violate the CROWN Act and unlimited self-expression should not be given to the students by the CROWN Act. Poole also mentioned the 14th Amendment made by the U.S. Supreme Court and said that, “we believe the same reasoning will eventually applied to the CROWN Act.
The 14th Amendment consists of changes made by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in the 40 years old legal law and rejected the rule of admissions on the basis of race in higher education. The higher education trusts such as Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, use to give admissions on the basis of race which results in the violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution.
Booker opposed the decision and decided to appeal the decision. She also confirmed that she will be going to file and injunction in a pending federal lawsuit which was filed by Darryl and his mother against the school as well as the state leaders.
Booker also said that the district has not proven that the policy is tailored to served those interest. In return of this Superintendent Poole said that this policy is necessary to teach students grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, maintain a positive and safe learning environment, and teach respect for authority.
After the release of this rule, George will remain to be in-school suspension, where he had denied instructional materials and hot food. George said that he has been experiencing isolation and damage to his mental health before the trial and said that it is very difficult to be stuck in a same room for whole semester.
