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submitted 8 months ago by tree@lemmy.zip to c/usa@lemmy.ml

After a short trial, a Texas judge ruled that Barbers Hill school officials are not violating a new state law prohibiting hair discrimination.


A Texas judge on Thursday said the Barbers Hill Independent School District can punish a Black student who wears his hair in long locs without violating Texas’ new CROWN Act, which is meant to prevent hairstyle discrimination in schools and workplaces.

The decision came after a monthslong dispute between the district and Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School who has been sent to in-school suspension since August for wearing his hair in long locs. Legislators last year passed a law called the Texas CROWN Act that prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair texture or protective styles associated with race. Protective styles include locs, braids and twists.

But the Barbers Hill school district successfully argued it can still enforce its policy that prohibits males from wearing hair that extends beyond eyebrows, earlobes or collars even if it’s gathered on top of the student’s head.

Judge Chap B. Cain III issued the ruling after a short trial in which lawyers for opposing sides argued over the legislative intent behind the CROWN Act. Lawyers for Barbers Hill said lawmakers would have included explicit language about hair length had they intended the law to cover it. Allie Booker, representing Darryl George and his mother Darresha George, said protective styles are only possible with long hair.

read more: https://19thnews.org/2024/02/texas-school-district-hair-discrimination-darryl-george/

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[-] midori@lemmy.world 65 points 8 months ago

This is so ridiculous and unnecessary.

[-] pezhore@lemmy.ml 50 points 8 months ago

Ah, but see, it is cruel. So in the conservative mind it's okay.

[-] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 34 points 8 months ago

Booker said after the Texas ruling Thursday that she intends to appeal the decision. She also said she will file an injunction in a pending federal lawsuit filed by Darresha and Darryl George against the school district as well as state leaders.

I hope this can get struck down on appeal. I'm glad they are continuing to fight. How racist and farcical. Poor kid.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 21 points 8 months ago

Yeah, what about religious hairstyles, like Sihks having long hair gathered up on top of the head?

Just... let people have whatever hair they want...

[-] hydroptic@sopuli.xyz 18 points 8 months ago

Just… let people have whatever hair they want…

"Absolutely not."

– Conservatives, probably

[-] Monument@lemmy.sdf.org 13 points 8 months ago

I’m a man that has mostly had long hair since I was 14. It’s part of my identity. Their whole ‘collar length’ rule is one I would simply have laughed at them for.
But I’m white (and a man). No one tries to bully me when I set boundaries.

Fuck those administrators and their heavy-handed attempt to step on that child’s sense of self. Their school rules do not supersede state law.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 6 points 8 months ago

And their rules don't supercede federal law. Some religions forbid cutting of hair (e.g. Sikh), so that would be protected under the first amendment. If one individual is not obligated to cut their hair for religious purposes, surely another individual could choose to not cut their hair under the equal protection clause, even without claiming religious exemption. If not, one party gets special privileges that another does not just because they're part of a protected class, which is unfair.

That said, I think they can absolutely enforce hair not going beyond your shoulders, since people can tie their hair up. There may be practical reasons for it (e.g. safety, such as in a shop class), or just a uniform standard of appearance. But that's not what the article is about. If I were the student's parents, I would seriously consider appealing on constitutional grounds.

[-] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 13 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Racist, racist is what it is. A conservative excercise in power, in service of reenforcing the racist hierarchy of white people over black people that Conservatives love so much.

[-] RaineV1@kbin.social 40 points 8 months ago

Even beyond the obvious issue, boys being forced to have short hair is just sexist as hell.

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 16 points 8 months ago

The...the school district that is restricting hair styles is literally called "Barber Hill"? Like actually?

[-] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 12 points 8 months ago

The times, they are a'changing. What a stupid time to be living. I do find some type of juvenile humor in a haircut being a problem at Barbers Hill.

[-] Psionicsickness@reddthat.com 11 points 8 months ago

Barbers Hill

I mean??? Of course they have haircut laws.

[-] frauddogg@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 8 months ago

This kind of shit is exactly why I don't lower my guard around whites anymore; especially not the ones south of the Mason-Dixon. They get a little bit of power over you, and suddenly everything about you that makes them uncomfortable from your hair to your diction to the parts of your culture that you embrace all become open to sanction and life-derailing 'punishment'. Prayin this man Darryl keeps fighting.

[-] Gabu@lemmy.ml 6 points 8 months ago

Someone remind the people in charge of this school that their blood is the same color as everyone else's, please.

[-] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 4 points 8 months ago

A Texas judge on Thursday said the Barbers Hill Independent School District can punish a Black student who wears his hair in long locs without violating Texas’ new CROWN Act, which is meant to prevent hairstyle discrimination in schools and workplaces

The mental gymnastics

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 3 points 8 months ago

“You need significant length to perform the style,” Booker said. “You can’t make braids with a crew cut. You can’t lock anything that isn’t long.”

They said he couldn't lock his hair because it was too short.

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 8 months ago

Fuck I read that as "can't".

this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024
162 points (98.8% liked)

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