MONT BELVIEU, Texas – A federal judge has allowed a Black student disciplined by Barbers Hill ISD over his hairstyle to continue his case against the district, according to the student’s attorney.
Darryl George was kept out of his regular classes for most of the 2023-2024 school year at Barbers Hill High School. The school said his dreadlocks fell below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violated the district’s dress code. George spent that time out of his regular classes in in-school suspension or at an off-campus disciplinary program.
Recommended Videos
In August, a judge dismissed most of the claims in his lawsuit against the district. The judge dismissed claims that George’s due process rights under the 14th Amendment were being violated. He also dropped Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, the district superintendent and other school employees from the case.
The one claim the judge left standing was an allegation of sex discrimination based on the school district’s lack of clearly defined policies on why girls could be allowed to have long hair but boys could not.
The judge is expected to rule in the next 10 days if the district can continue to enforce its hair policy.