After a Texas High School junior, Darryl George, was placed on in-school suspension for his hair, his family is now suing Texas officials, the AP reports.
The family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Saturday against Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce the CROWN Act, which went into effect on Sept. 1, bans hair discrimination.
AS ESSENCE reported, “The 17-year-old was ironically suspended the same week the state’s CROWN Act, a law prohibiting discrimination based on one’s hair texture or protective hairstyle such as locs and braids, went into effect at the start of September. His suspension also comes after a similar situation at the school in 2020 with former student De’Andre Arnold who sued the school district and helped lead to the enactment of the CROWN Act in the state.”
A district spokesperson said that the length of George’s hair violated the code, which states “Male students’ hair will not extend, at any time, below the eyebrows or below the ear lobes.”
According to his mother, the school required the 17-year-old to cut his hair, and he was placed on in-school suspension after he did not cut it.
As AP notes, the lawsuit alleges that “Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, in their official duties, have failed to protect George’s constitutional rights against discrimination and against violations of his freedom of speech and expression.”
Family attorney Allie Booker also stated in the lawsuit that “the so-called neutral grooming policy has no close association with learning or safety and when applied, disproportionately impacts Black males.”