Darryl George’s suspension from school over his locs will finally be addressed in court. A judge has officially set a trial date.
According to reports, George has been on an enforced hiatus since August 31 after Texas Barbers Hill High School officials suspended him.
Their reason: his twisted locs violated the dress code. Apparently, the school has a strict policy on hair length, which George’s locs exceed.
Darryl George’s Family Will Have Their Day In Court
Per PEOPLE, Chambers County Judge Chap Chain set the trial date to begin on February 22. The ruling came down on Wednesday (January 24).
The upcoming legal dispute will determine whether the school had ostracized the teen by violating the CROWN Act.
As you’ll probably recall, the new law, which went into effect on September 1, prohibits discrimination against different bases.
Meanwhile, George remains suspended from school and cannot return to in-person class. Instead, the school has kept George in ISS (In-School Suspension), a program for student behavior management.
David Bloom, a district spokesperson, remained adamant that unless George cut his hair, he would stay in ISS.
“Until he cuts [his] hair or we get [a] court ruling to the contrary, he will stay in ISS,” he told CNN.
He assured CNN that despite his suspension, George will still be able to graduate. The suspension program still permits him to complete his day-to-day classwork.
But Darresha George, Darryl’s mother, has expressed frustration that the judge didn’t consider a temporary restraining order, per KHOU. This would have subsequently allowed her son to return to his classes.
“I have a son, 18 years old, that wants to go to school, that wants to get his education, and y’all messing with him. Why?” she said.
Superintendent Boldly Claims That “Being An American Requires Conformity”
Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole has previously defended the district’s policy. In a paid advertisement in the Houston Chronicle earlier this month, he asserted that the traditional dress code contributes to safer and academic school environments.
“We will not lose sight of the main goal — high standards for our students — by bending to political pressure or responding to misinformed media reports,” he said, per NBC Houston. “These entities have ‘lesser’ goals that ultimately harm kids.”
Additionally, he believed that “being an American requires conformity.”
The Superintendent of Barbers Hill ISD took out a full page ad in the @HoustonChron to defend suspending an African American student from school because his hair was too long. Wow. Just wow. pic.twitter.com/C2cZYUh3dR
— Murray Newman (@murraynewman) January 14, 2024
In his affidavit, filed in support of the temporary restraining order, the teen argued that he’d been subject to “cruel treatment” by the school.
George’s locs are more than just hair to him. They are a symbol of his identity, his heritage, and, most importantly, self-expression.
“I love my hair, it is sacred and it is my strength,” he wrote. “All I want to do is go to school and be a model student. I am being harassed by school officials and treated like a dog.”
