this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
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The family of a Black high school student in Texas on Saturday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s governor and attorney general over his ongoing suspension by his school district for his hairstyle.

Darryl George, 17, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, has been serving an in-school suspension since Aug. 31 at the Houston-area school. School officials say his dreadlocks fall below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violate the district’s dress code.

George’s mother, Darresha George, and the family’s attorney deny the teenager’s hairstyle violates the dress code, saying his hair is neatly tied in twisted dreadlocks on top of his head.

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[–] ericisshort@lemmy.world 118 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Good. I hope he gets rich and that it ends this sort of bullshit in Texas schools.

[–] A_Toasty_Strudel@lemmy.world 66 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Besides, even if it violates the dress code they have, this shouldn't be a part of the dress code to begin with. Who cares if somebody has some freaking dreads like get over it. Smh

[–] MudMan@kbin.social 40 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I am baffled that the anglosphere has a dress code for schools in the first place. I don't think I've ever heard of anybody getting even talked to for what they wear in a public school here, and I've had teachers in the family for four decades.

Private schools sure, but those are for nepo babies and idiots.

[–] dojan@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Even private schools where I'm from are unlikely to have that kind of thing. They might have a uniform, but I'm not sure if dress codes are even allowed.

I suppose the exception would be if someone is wearing something that can be considered offensive. E.g. if they come to school in an SS uniform. That'd definitely cause a commotion. I've no idea how a hairstyle could be offensive unless someone shaved/shaped their hair into like a slur or something.

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Hair-based dress code rules are always bullshit. I used to go to a school that required boys' hair to be above the ears, as well. I always thought it was stupid, so did my mom, so she let me grow my hair out and the worst they did was tell me I need to get a haircut.

[–] garretble@lemmy.world 55 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It’s always stupid when these kids have to deal with this, but it’s especially stupid with this student because his hair looked awesome (if the photos we see are what they are upset about).

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago

Yeah, if what I see in the articles and thumbnails are what he’s rockin’ then what the fuck is the problem?! He’s got a good thing going.

I think it looks stupid as hell, but I don't care ( but who cares what this old, obese, white dude thinks about some kids' haircut). Further, that's no reason to get suspended. Hell, I would have been suspended a whole bunch of times if my HS had a rule against stupid haircuts. I'd argue that HS is the time to be stupid about this shit.

[–] GillyGumbo@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Isn't the rule about hair not going past eyebrows or ear lobes? Every picture I've seen of this dude meets that requirement. I really don't understand the reasoning behind the violation?

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 53 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There is no reasoning. It's just white conservatives triggered by black man.

[–] flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

Oy.... this was an innocent correction, right? Right?

[–] Mirshe@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago

The school's reasoning is "well if he ever took them down he'd be in violation, so he's in violation regardless".

[–] ruckblack@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah I think the reasoning is that they're not allowed to have hair that, if let down, would be lower than their eyebrows/earlobes. You're not allowed to have long hair and put it up. Very stupid.

[–] FluffyPotato@lemm.ee 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Schools in the US can regulate students hairstyle?! Wtf?

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago

Yay small government?

[–] Rootiest@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

Maybe in Texas.

We'll see how the lawsuit plays out

[–] 30mag@lemmy.world 46 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In case you hadn't heard, the state of Texas actually passed a law because this particular school district, Barbers Hill, is run by a bunch of assholes.

After black student suspended over dreadlocks, some Texas lawmakers want to ban hair discrimination

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/06/prewrite-after-black-student-suspended-over-dreadlocks-some-texas-lawm/

Texas school district's dreadlocks ban discriminatory, federal court rules

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/18/texas-school-dreadlocks-ban/

Abbott signs into law CROWN Act banning race-based hair discrimination

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/29/texas-crown-act-law/

[–] be_excellent_to_each_other@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Abbott signs into law CROWN Act banning race-based hair discrimination

How'd they fool him into that? Does it have a line in it that bans topics that could make white kids uncomfortable or something?

[–] 30mag@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[–] affiliate@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

maybe he wants something in his pocket that he can bring up to say “see! i’m not racist!”. or maybe he thought it was a losing battle? (it would probably be extremely easy for a court to rule that a dreadlocks ban is unconstitutional)

according to this article, the law was introduced by a democrat and “sailed through both chambers of the Legislature with overwhelming support”. so that at least gives some support to the second hypothesis.

[–] corroded@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What business does a school have telling students how to cut their hair? When I was in school (over 20 years ago), I had my hair long, short, colored, and everything in-between. Nobody gave a fuck.

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Texas. They love the government all up in their business

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Skin color is probably a factor here. It was only a few years ago that a video was making the rounds of a teenage wrestler being forced to cut his dreads or forfeit a match, and pretty much every year at least a few stories make the rounds about black and native kids being told their hair style is inappropriate and they won't be allowed to walk on stage at their graduation unless they cut it.

[–] corroded@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I agree that it's quite likely racism is the problem in this instance. My point is that schools should under no circumstances be telling students how they need to wear their hair; apparently this school has a dress code that stipulates hear length. Schools exist to give students the knowledge they need to be successful once they reach the age of 18. They should not be policing how the students groom themselves or dress; that should be up to the parents. There should not be a "dress code" in the first place, outside of "don't show up to school naked."

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Skin color is probably a factor here.

Skin color is the only factor here.

[–] totallynotarobot@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What is an "in-school suspension?"

Like you sit in a corner staring at the wall from 8-3?

[–] squirmy_wormy@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Basically. You can do homework or other busy work, but you can't interact with peers or really do anything else.

* and they will give you busy work - write an essay, do some math, etc.

[–] totallynotarobot@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

TIL thanks. Sounds grim.

[–] sederx@programming.dev 8 points 1 year ago

The US are fucked up

[–] Marcbmann@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah. In my experience you're still getting all of your classwork and you're getting instruction. But you're isolated from your peers.

In this instance especially it's fucking stupid. But in theory his education is not being completely interrupted by this bullshit

[–] squirmy_wormy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I know a lot of people were shitting on it under my comment, but honestly it seemed a better deterrent than actual suspension. Out of school you could just fuck off and do whatever. Sitting on a corner was boring as shit and was something to avoid.

[–] Marcbmann@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to impact an individuals education. The kind of kids who get in trouble are not going to be set on the straight and narrow by being left at home alone all day.

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

Wow. I can't believe it's 2023 and people are getting hung up about how someone's hair looks like.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 11 points 1 year ago

I’m really curious how this isn’t simply unconstitutional based on Bostock v. Clayton County. I’ve yet to see any news source being it up. This was the case the protects a gay person being fired for being gay in they you cannot say it’s wrong to be attracted to women as a women but ok for a man. You’re discriminating based on sex. Therefore if the hair length is ok for girls, it has to be ok for boys.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Barber's Hill should absolutely have a hair related dress code. And a red and white striped pole