Who is Darryl George? Family sues Texas officials after high school suspends student over dreadlocks
HOUSTON, TEXAS: Darryl George is a 17-year-old student from Mont Belvieu, Texas who has been suspended from attending school since August 31, 2023 for his dreadlocked hair.
On Saturday, September 23, George’s parents sued Texas’ governor and attorney general by accusing them of failing to enforce a new law that outlaws racial discrimination based on hairstyles.
Why is Darryl George’s family suing the governor and attorney general?
Per The Associated Press, George is a junior student at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu.
The officials in his school suspended him on August 31 saying his dreadlocks fall below his eyebrows and ear lobes, which in turn violate the district’s dress code.
Per CNN, while braids and locs are allowed, the male hair should not be styled in such a way that "would allow the hair to extend below the top of a t-shirt collar, below the eyebrows, or below the ear lobes when let down,” per the code.
Darryl’s mother Darresha George, however, vehemently denied the allegation saying Darryl’s hair is neatly tied and twisted in dreadlocks on top of his head.
Saturday’s lawsuit alleges that Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton - both Republicans - have failed in their responsibility to implement the CROWN Act.
Claiming that the duo failed to protect Darryl's constitutional rights against discrimination, the lawsuit added the entire incident violated the teenager’s freedom of speech and expression.
The lawsuit demanded that Darryl "should be permitted to wear his hair in the manner in which he wears it because the so-called neutral grooming policy has no close association with learning or safety and when applied, disproportionately impacts Black males.”
The lawsuit also marks the second in the series of official steps taken by the junior student’s family. Through the suit, the family is seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the 17-year-old’s in-school suspension.
Candice Matthews, national minister of politics for the New Black Panther Nation and a spokesperson for George’s family, declared firmly on Saturday, “Time to bring the fight to Barbers Hill ISD. We’re going to drop the hammer of accountability in the face of racism.”
On Tuesday, September 19, a complaint was filed with Texas Education Agency where Darresha and the family’s attorney claimed that during the suspension, Darryl was forced to sit on a stool for eight hours and denied the free hot lunch he was eligible for.
Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole said in a statement on Wednesday, “Although we believe the new law does not govern hair length, we are asking the judicial system of Texas to interpret,” per CNN.
What is the CROWN Act?
CROWN Act is the acronym for the new act “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” which took effect on September 1.
The law is implemented with the intention of prohibiting racial discrimination based on hair and protecting students and employees from getting penalized for their hairstyles.
The hairstyles included in the list are Afros, braids, dreadlocks, twists or Bantu knots, among others.
While a federal version of the law was passed in the US House in the past year, it wasn’t successful in the Senate. Texas is one of the 24 states that brought a version of the act into effect.