The battle continues at Barbers Hill High School between a family that claims their student is being discriminated against because of his hairstyle, and the school district telling them they are just enforcing the rules.
The family of Darryl George says they’ve been fed nothing but lies by school officials, and that even a memo sent this week seemed to further contradict the school district’s stance on the male dress code.
“I wanna go to class, that’s all I want to do. Just get me out of ISS,” said Darryl George.
But on Wednesday, the 17-year-old high school junior said he found himself in in-school suspension, again.
“It started the Friday after the first week. It was ‘hat day.’ They said my hair was below my eyebrows and stuff, even though I had a hat on.” he said.
While it’s hard to tell how long his hair is now because it’s braided back and doesn’t go below his ears, it’s clear he has locs. His mother, Darresha George, said the school is violating the recently passed “Crown Act” which outlaws racial discrimination based on hairstyles.
Activist Candice Matthews of the New Black Panther Nation showed KPRC 2 a memo given to the family. She said Barbers Hill ISD officials wrote they’ve “filed a declaratory judgment lawsuit seeking court clarification on whether the newly passed Crown Act prohibits grooming policies addressing the length of a male student’s hair. The district’s grooming policy, which does not prohibit male students from wearing braids, locks, or twists, does have male hair length requirements.”
But Darryl and some of his classmates showed us why they say that doesn’t make sense.
RELATED: A Black student was suspended for his hairstyle. The school says it wasn’t discrimination
“The way he had his hair to me, it looked like it was in dress code. The way I have my hair supposedly is in dress code for them, but it’s obviously longer than his,” said classmate Jason Soto whose hair was straight but just above his shoulder.
Until this gets sorted out, Matthews says part of Darryl’s in-school suspension punishment forces him to sit in a very cold room, on a stool, all day.
“For seven to eight hours on end… that’s torture,” Matthews said.
She added there are no teachers explaining Darryl’s lessons, and he’s being fed bologna sandwiches and doesn’t get the school lunch options other students do.
“So you giving them jail bologna sandwiches, and let’s be clear about bologna, research shows you can get cancer from bologna,” she said.
The lack of proper education and nutrition they believe, is a recipe for disaster.
“He’s not doing anything wrong. He’s doing exactly what I’m telling him to do. ‘Go to school, get your education, become something,’ now y’all telling him he can’t become anything because of his hair?” Darresha said.
KPRC 2 has reached out to Barbers Hill High School multiple times but has not heard back.
The George family’s attorney, Allie Booker, says she has gotten the Texas Education Agency to launch an investigation and they are planning to file a federal lawsuit Friday.
KPRC 2′s Deven Clark reached out to board members of the district and was only able to reach one, Fred Skinner.
“The day he came I know they said his hair was too long,” Skinner said.
