Darryl George, a Black high school student in Texas, faced punishment for most of his junior year due to his hairstyle. He has left his school district to avoid another year of in-school suspension but wants to return for his senior year. George and his mother filed a federal lawsuit alleging racial and gender discrimination by the school district. The judge dismissed most claims, allowing only a gender discrimination claim to proceed.
George has requested a temporary restraining order to return to school while the lawsuit continues. The school district argues that the judge lacks jurisdiction because George is no longer a student. They defend their dress code, which aims to teach grooming, discipline, and respect for authority. George’s attorney, Allie Booker, stated that he was forced to unenroll and transfer to another school due to emotional distress caused by the punishment.
George wore tied and twisted locs to school, violating the district’s hair length policy. The dress code required hair no longer than shirt collar, eyebrows, or earlobes. The district argued that other students with locs complied with the policy. George’s lawsuit also cited the CROWN Act, a law prohibiting race-based discrimination of hair, but a state judge ruled against this claim in February. The school district’s hair policy was previously challenged in a federal lawsuit in 2020, leading to a temporary injunction for one student. George’s request for a temporary restraining order is scheduled for a court hearing in October.
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