Darryl George: Texas judge rules school district can restrict the length of male students’ natural hair

I was a long-hair male teenager in Texas and got to experience this first-hand. Besides the frequent disparraging comments from teachers and staff, I was also kicked off the track/CC team for my hair because I "Didn't match the image the school wanted to present at athletic events." I had a 4.0GPA, was active in school activities, enrolled in all AP/Pre-AP classes, and was, most importantly, good at and enjoyed running. As a freshman I ran a 5:20 mile, 12:10 two mile, and <20min 5K and was up for varsity consideration in my sophomore year. Despite this, the coach told me, point-blank, that I could only stay on the team if I cut my hair above the ear.

My parents, pissed, yelled at every school admin they could get a meeting with to no avail. Ultimately, even the principle was impotent, apologizing for how this must be "upsetting" but saying that she couldn't do anything. Apparently the athletics coordinator who made the rule didn't report to the principle, but to the district athletics office. My parents told me they would be behind me to fight it up the chain, but I decided that the experience had ruined competetive running for me and moved on.

The enforcement of white, christian, heteronormative values to teens' hair is so insideous. It is used for racism against black teens with braids, homophobia/transphobia against queer teens who don't conform with gender stereotypes, and in my case, just to be fascist assholes to a white cis-het teen boy with long hair. Nowadays I am covered in tattoos, oscillate between long/short/natural/neon hair, and have never felt like a better representative of my institution. I am about to get my PhD, was the president of my department's graduate student association, have taught and ran summer and afterschool science programs for under-represented kids, and fought for (and gotten) better compensation for graduate employees at my school.

Fuck every petty school admin who supports this shit, I am proud of my image, I am proud of teenage me for holding onto his individuality, and I hope that any teenagers in a similar situation can feel proud of themselves too, regardless of how they express.

The CROWN act explicitly prohibits school districts from restricting the length of male students' natural hair.

This exact same school district already lost a pre-CROWN Act federal lawsuit about requiring Black students to cut their hair.

It's the exact same case, except the new kid's hair is less long and since then (literally in response to it) Texas passed the CROWN Act to make it explicit. Nothing changed to make it allowed, they just decided to keep doing it. And I'd say it's pretty safe to call the judge, who ruled against a previous federal ruling and the law explicitly added in response to the previous violation, is just another Republican racist with no concern for the law. Feels like we need a new round of federal supervision for civil rights in South.

Also, all this seems like something a journalist might want to include in a story.

Republicans : We can't tell people what guns they can or can't own! Also, cut your hair and carry that embryo to term!!!

It's a district called Barbers Hill, what did you expect? /S

In all seriousness though, can we have a Sikh organization sue the bejeezus out of them, as long hair is an article of their faith, and the US Constitution has a thing or two to say about freedom of religion.

Ah yes land of the free and us telling you what you can and can’t do

Ooooh... just like they did over here in Apartheid-era South Africa!

This is what SMALL GOVERNMENT™ looks like, ladies and gentlemen

I hope the kid bakrupts the superintendent with punitive damages when this is all over.

Why do black people have to have the same hairstyles as white people?

(You don't need to answer that.)

So why would this dress code not already be unconstitutional based on sex discrimination? Girls can have long hair, why not boys? The hair grows the same fucking way.

the gov gonna pay for the haircuts or is this just another indirect taxation on kids.

At a news conference outside the courthouse, Candice Matthews, a spokesperson for the family, said George had tears in his eyes as theyd left the courtroom.

She said the family is disappointed, angered and confused by the ruling.

“Darryl made this statement, and told me this straight up with tears in his eyes, ‘All because of my hair? I can’t get my education because of hair? I cannot be around other peers and enjoy my junior year, because of my hair?’”

Matthews said that George will continue to serve in-school suspension and that his attorneys plan to file for an injunction in an upcoming federal civil rights lawsuit

He has to go to school. But at school he serves in school suspension. How is that helpful? How is this young man supposed to receive a quality education? (I understand that the cruelty is the point.)

Legally I am not allowed to suggest what I think should happen to the racist fascists involved. Suffice to say it’s not pretty. ☺️

Texas is so going backwards.

I sometimes half-wonder whether some of the judges in Texas might be the tiniest bit racist.

I hope a ton of people just start claiming religious exemptions.

land of the free, right?

This judge erred.

Name them, shame them. They deserve the notoriety that their racist behavior offers.

This is very clearly outlined in the CROWN Act. Can the student's family appeal this to a higher court?

In January [Barbers Hill Independent School District Superintendent Greg Poole] placed a full page ad in the Houston Chronicle, arguing that “being an American requires conformity with the positive benefit of unity"

TIL being American is actually about conformity. Thanks Texas

Poole previously told CNN “hair length of male students is only constitutionally protected for Native American students.”

Join a tribe!

Is the limit the same for males and females?

If not, that's a clear civil rights violation and I would love to see how federal courts address this.

Keep fighting, Darryl!

Too much lead in the water.

I vote students get the choice of using a knife on any of these controlling freaks without any form of punishment.

This is an interesting one. I think this ruling may be legit, if stupid?

The CROWN act specifically says that a school can't limit access based on hair "style or texture" IF that style or texture has particular associations to that person's "race or national origin."

A blanket ban on hair longer than a certain length wouldn't violate that at face value since "longer than X inches" isn't a style or texture in and of itself, and isnt particularly associated with any race or national grouping of people?

And while certain religions prohibit cutting your hair, I think that would be a standard religious exemption, the same way you're allowed to have a "no hats" rule, even though some religions require them. That's long been upheld by the courts.

I think this is a crazy hill for the school to die on, but I think it might be within their rights to die on it? Idk though, I'd be interested to hear what other people think.