Darryl George spoke out Thursday ahead of a Texas judge ruling that his school district lawfully punished him for refusing to change his hairstyle.
“It's put a lot of emotions on me: anger, sadness, disappointment,” George said at a news conference outside the courthouse.
A Texas judge ruled that the state’s CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination at work, does not make it unlawful for school dress codes to limit a student’s hair length.
The decision is a blow to George, a Black high school student who had sued the Barbers Hill Independent School District for punishing him since August 31 over the length of his dreadlocks. The district in a lawsuit said his hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its dress code policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows, or earlobes when let down.
George has been either suspended or spent time at an off-site disciplinary program for much of the school year. He said the school district had robbed him of part of his childhood and high school career.
“It just makes me feel angry — very angry — that throughout all these years, throughout all the fighting for the Black history that we've already done, we still have to do this again, and again, and again is ridiculous. It makes no sense.” the 18-year-old said outside the court.
