After serving more than a month of in-school suspension over his dreadlocks, a Black student in Texas was told he will be removed from his high school and sent to a disciplinary alternative education program on Thursday.
Darryl George, 18, is a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu and has been suspended since Aug. 31. He will be sent to EPIC, an alternative school program, from Oct. 12 through Nov. 29 for “failure to comply” with multiple campus and classroom regulations, the principal said in a Wednesday letter provided to The Associated Press by the family.
Principal Lance Murphy wrote that George has repeatedly violated the district’s “previously communicated standards of student conduct." The letter also says that George will be allowed to return to regular classroom instruction on Nov. 30 but will not be allowed to return to his high school’s campus until then unless he’s there to discuss his conduct with school administrators.
Barbers Hill Independent School District prohibits male students from having hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a T-shirt collar, according to the student handbook. Additionally, hair on all students must be clean, well-groomed, geometrical and not an unnatural color or variation. The school does not require uniforms.
George’s mother, Darresha George, and the family’s attorney deny the teenager’s hairstyle violates the dress code. The family last month filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s governor and attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce a new law outlawing discrimination based on hairstyles.
The family alleges George’s suspension and subsequent discipline violate the state’s CROWN Act, which took effect Sept. 1. The law, an acronym for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is intended to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, dreadlocks, twists or Bantu knots.
A federal version passed in the U.S. House last year, but was not successful in the Senate.
The school district also filed a lawsuit in state district court asking a judge to clarify whether its dress code restrictions limiting student hair length for boys violates the CROWN Act. The lawsuit was filed in Chambers County, east of Houston.
George’s school previously clashed with two other Black male students over the dress code.
Barbers Hill officials told cousins De’Andre Arnold and Kaden Bradford they had to cut their dreadlocks in 2020. Their families sued the district in May 2020, and a federal judge later ruled the district’s hair policy was discriminatory. Their pending case helped spur Texas lawmakers to approve the state’s CROWN Act. Both students withdrew from the school, with Bradford returning after the judge’s ruling.
link: https://www.aol.com/news/black-student-suspended-over-hairstyle-220842177.html
Maybe try teaching the guy more, and caring about his hair less.
But that completely defeats the purpose! (which is the racism)
I don’t think it’s racism, just a school with fucking insane rules that should never be allowed:
Barbers Hill Independent School District prohibits male students from having hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a T-shirt collar, according to the student handbook. Additionally, hair on all students must be clean, well-groomed, geometrical and not an unnatural color or variation. The school does not require uniforms.
Why the fuck schools give a single shit about how kids dress themselves or wear their hair is beyond me.
Those rules are there to be racist, these types of dress codes were literally invented to be exclusionary and/or erase culture to “”“assimilate”“” populations of native people.
So… Where is the catalog of approved haircuts for students to pick from? Fucking fascist ideas being masked in bullshit like avoiding fake “distractions” in classrooms.
I’d like to see a catalog of edge cases that would theoretically be up to code but still look outrageous.
I’m sure we could get creative here. Like, you could go with the Friar Tuck look with the top part shaved and that would be fine. I guess it depends on what they consider “geometrical”
I’m more of a Manchu queue style.
The approved hairstyles:
The bottom left guy looks a little like a North Korean Tom Hanks.
Principal Lance Murphy is literally just going to die on this hill apparently. Between the massive cost the school district took because of the 2020 court loss over this exact same thing, and this giant L the school district is about to take for not only being now in Violation of Federal Law but also Texas literally passed a law, because of this asshat and the 2020 loss, indicating that he’s not legally allowed to do exactly what he’s doing.
The school district also filed a lawsuit in state district court asking a judge to clarify whether its dress code restrictions limiting student hair length for boys violates the CROWN Act
Which if you are unsure if your policy is violating a law or not, you should likely not have the policy until the court gives you more clarity. Because if the Courts do indeed indicate that the school is in violation of Texas’ CROWN Act, they’ve just handed this kid millions of dollars in restitution, which I guess they can just pile on top of the millions this school district has blown so far on litigation.
You would think that at some point taxpayers would be up in arms, but nope it’s Texas, blowing billions on stupid lawsuits is their thing.
How does a previous case not automatically make the current situation unacceptable? Do they have to retry the exact same situation over and over again?
Because principal is a bully and willing to use his powers to destroy lives. The methods to protect people are very slow and so he gets away with it for years until the district loses a major lawsuit. Then he quietly gets reassigned or retires and we pretend the entire thing never happened.
Bully and Bigot, a very iconic duo.
I don’t trust principals
On principle?
A previous case is certainly a good argument in court, however the opposition may be able to argue material differentiating circumstances that may not be immediately obvious (in general, not in this case). That is why it isn’t considered an automatic win.
if I understand correctly, it’s actually more illegal now, because Texas passed the CROWN act after the previous 2.
I suppose there may be differences that make a difference to the outcome, but it seems unlikely here.
blowing billions on stupid lawsuits is their thing.
That and blowing money on highschool football stadiums.
And apparently blowing more money bussing people out of their state.
Naw? That’s just… you know, a hobby.
I’m not a kid, but looking back on this type of situation as an adult, I’d settle for half of whatever they offer as long as the administrator(s) driving this were also banned from all public education jobs in the state, permanently. Fines to the district aren’t a deterrent to bad administration on their, but fear of job security absolutely is.
That’s our Fiscal Conservatives. Ready to spend endless money on stupid bullshit but very upset about spending that actually helps the populace.
Unfortunately in the eyes of racist Texans, they encourage him to take racist actions against literal children.
What is the state apparatus for if not funding private interests through frivolous lawsuits?
Fuck it makes me so mad when schools make boys cut their hair. My little brother had to cut his hair that he had been growing since he was in his single digits. It was devastating. This was back in the early '00s
Nah, they’re not asking. This is a setup for a challenge of the CROWN Act and a possible reversal. Just watch, they’ll appeal it all the way up to Texas Supreme Court if they need to.
I get that this was an angry post, but it gave me a strong positive energy boost. Thank you.
So their guidelines are openly discriminatory at best, and openly racist otherwise…
It’s mind-blowing how quickly the US is regressing because we’re kowtowing to a miniscule minority.
I’m openly curious how well a “liberal” minded individual who isn’t afraid to be an asshole would be received.
Largely, the problem is that the far-right shows up.
No matter how tiny the power grab, they’ll have someone there to grab it, often unopposed.
The problem is largely the structure of our democracy. The left shows up, they showed up more in the last decade than they ever have. And we’re still sliding backward.
Because the way our idiotic system works, the number of people that show up matter less than the zip code they show up in.
I’d love to see what a liberal asshole politician would look like, but i can’t see it working out today. As much as the right blows wokeism out of proportion, PC culture is still a thing in a lot of liberal areas, and if you’re not PC as a liberal politician I imagine you’ll offend the more sensitive parts of your own base. Didn’t Bernie Sanders get hit with some of that? And he wasn’t even that assholeish, he just showed a spine.
I’m openly curious how well a “liberal” minded individual who isn’t afraid to be an asshole would be received.
Carlin died an old man rich and successful
I’m openly curious how well a “liberal” minded individual who isn’t afraid to be an asshole would be received.
Speaking from experience here, people will actively, and sometimes collectively, attack you for it. They’ll gang up on you online. They’ll openly and often violently bully you in real life. They’ll even abuse the legal system to get rid of you if they are angry enough at you.
Being an asshole towards shitty people (and the vast majority of humans are shitty people, myself included) is very VERY enlightening on how our rights and our laws are just a thin veneer covering what really governs our lives, and that is our feelings. Most humans could give a fuck less about logic, facts or the truth; they only care about their emotions and what they want because they are only connected to the real world through their emotions, not their minds.
Humans are no better than base animals and being willing to be a horrifying House-level dick towards those you think are deserving demonstrates this, really handily.
It doesn’t surprise me that poor young man was forced to go to an alternate school where the diploma he’ll get won’t be as respected by the colleges he’ll apply to. He probably told them off for being so blatantly racist and, in their hurt, they kicked him out.
Pure, unadulterated racism.
But I was told America is the land of the free. Have I been misinformed?
Whoever told you that is your enemy.
best reference i’ve ever witnessed
The finger to the land of the chains
You’re perfectly free to do things exactly as you’re told. Capiche?
Land of the “free to tell you what to do.”
It’s just the accent, it’s actually: “land of the fee, home of the brave racist.”
Land of the fee, home of the slave.
The entire US culture that the world sees is a lie. Anyone who lives or has visited is aware, but all these other people watch movies and think American is some magical land.
Nah, wealth is just built on slavery and opression.
Modern day slavery in jails and low wages tied to healthcare.
If you are already privileged you probably are experiencing freedom.
What does that mean?
If you’re a rich white Christian and a man AND good looking, then you can do pretty much whatever the fuck you want.
Not rich, not white (for America’s standards), not Christian, not good looking.
I think I’ll enjoy my life here in Europe.
I’m planning on starting the emigration process within the next few years because it’s starting to become obvious that the US will never get its shit together. Too many selfish hypocrites holding things back. I understand that the grass isn’t always greener, but I’m confident that it will at least taste better with those sweet sweet European social services.
Nothing, but at least it sounds deep
Fuck, dude, that is painfully racist of the school.
It’s just hair. Why is the school district so interested in restricting hairstyles?
It’s not just hair though. It’s the fact that a black student challenged a decision they’ve made.
Specifically, it seems the school was explicitly told to target a single student in order for opening a way for the Governor to challenge the CROWN act in courts. It’s pure political maneuvering. Picking scapegoats and destroying individuals to advance racists agendas.
I can hear the shrieks of “uppity” from over here.
You know why.
Privatized uppity twat types, hardly only applies to black people. All those types of schools are like that.
I’m wondering if there’s more going on but the story is focusing on the most absurd detail. Its America though so I wouldn’t be surprised either way.
It sounds like there have been a few other code of conduct violations and the schools issue with his hair style was the final straw. Who knows if the previous “violations of the code” were also rooted in racism, but either way, a hair style should never be the ultimate reason someone is expelled unless they’ve purposefully shaved an offensive slurr into their hair.
Looks like it’s part of a uniform requirement. It’s part of the “make them all look the same, that will stop bad behavior”.
Public school shouldn’t be that way and it’s stupid in general. I went to “management school” for most of my middle school years and they did that to stop kids from fighting over colors and shit. Kinda made sense there though because we were all “bad apples”.
The school does not require uniforms.
Dammit I’m busted! Thanks for being the smart one and reading the article.
Barbers Hill Independent School District prohibits male students from having hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a T-shirt collar, according to the student handbook. Additionally, hair on all students must be clean, well-groomed, geometrical and not an unnatural color or variation. The school does not require uniforms.
Land of the fucking free.
Call me when the HOA allows you to plant clover on the front lawn.
Hair in the photo doesn’t even seem to break any of those rules??
The South is quite a disgusting place.
To be fair it could maybe be counted under unnatural variations.
He is styling it in a way that is not typical for the society he actively participates in.
(second part not necessarily connected to your comment anymore)
But I think it’s stupid to ban hair styles anyway. I often had some classmates with weird hairstyles and guess what, didn’t distract me from school.
In my opinion the dresscodes for school should be:
- cover your genitals generously, ass and boobies (regardless of gender. I think there isn’t place for shirtless guys in school outside of the gym). In general that means pants/dress/skirt and a shirt/top, but I wouldn’t care if they wear a toga or whatever.
- don’t wear extreme political symbols or other obviously widespread offensive symbols (e.g. a swastika)
- unless absolutely required by your religion, or physical reasons like a burnt face, never wear anything that covers your face. (medical masks in case of illness or pandemics excluded)
And that should be it (this list includes my limitations on hair styles and tattoos as well)
I know the Western world still isn’t into it, but kids should be allowed to wear masks if they’re sick or trying to prevent illness. Like they do in Asian countries.
Especially by the point they’re in high school.
Thanks for the input. honestly I forgot about masks, I would allow them as well.
I’m more against wearing a bandana mask for fun and edgyness; or to not be identified if you trash the elevator, etc.
I think there isn’t place for shirtless guys in school outside of the gym
Why is it acceptable some places but not others to you?
Texas actually has a pretty great law about replacing lawns with drought tolerant alternatives. This article gives a good summary: https://greenrightnow.com/hoas-must-consider-drought-tolerant-landscaping-under-new-law-passed-by-texas-legislature/
The article mentions some concerns about still allowing HOAs to require homeowners to submit plans for approval, but in my experience just mentioning the state law is enough to get any denial overturned.
The fact you have a law about lawns is funny and sad at the same time.
What’s sad is to think how unlikely it would be to get passed in today’s political climate.
LAND OF THE FREE? whoever told you that is your ENEMY! -rage
I hope the family successfully destroys the finances of the people involved in these super racist decisions.
Usually it’s taxpayers money.
And in this case it shouldn’t be.
Yes it should. The school administration answers to elected officials who represent the tax payers/voters. If the community doesn’t like spending money on racist bullshit they should vote for someone with a god-damned lick of sense.
I don’t think it’s racism tbh. I went to a Texas highschool and they tried to make me cut my hair when I was younger. I am biracial and never did I consider it racial. Is it a dumb rule? Yes. It was created during the hippy era as a stand of some sort.
It won’t, it’s not a racist policy. The people enforcing it probably are but if anything it’s a homophobic policy
The problem is hair length not hair style
Though some religious beliefs prevent cutting hair so there may be something there
By implementing a hair policy that excludes styles and lengths which are clearly a part of black culture and a way of expressing identity in America, the policy is racist. Whether or not the intent was racism, it still has the effect, making it a racist policy. It can also be discriminatory towards queer people and other cultures.
I’ve seen a lot more white people with long hair than black people
But the punk/metal movement has always been progressive
hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a T-shirt collar, according to the student handbook. Additionally, hair on all students must be clean, well-groomed, geometrical and not an unnatural color or variation. The school does not require uniforms.
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that any hair that is ‘relatively long’, ‘not geometrical’, or ‘unnatural color or variation’ is “clearly part of black culture.”
I can agree that its enforcement, if selective, could be considered racist, but it doesn’t seem to be written to target any particular culture.
edit: typo
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that any hair that is ‘relatively long’, ‘not geometrical’, or ‘unnatural color or variation’ is “clearly part of black culture.”
Good thing that’s not what I said. The policy doesn’t exclude all black hairstyles, but many of the hairstyles that would be excluded are sources of cultural/personal identity for black Americans.
it doesn’t seem to be written to target any particular culture
Literally what I spent my first comment explaining - it doesn’t have to be written to target a specific culture to be a racist policy. Oppression is not determined by the intent of the oppressor, but by the lived experiences of the oppressed.
That’s the issue with systemic racism. It’s designed to not look particularly racist until you examine in detail the things it effects. Many traditional black hair styles are going to violate some portion of that rule. Dreads almost certainly need to be longer and afros probably wouldn’t fly, for example. Most typical white styles are fine though.
The word you were searching for is sexist. I’ve been saying since the initial article that this might be unconstitutional under Bostock v. Clayton County.
You are saying the language of the written policy is not racist. It’s ultimately for a jury to decide whether the policy in action is racist.
You hold a higher opinion of the American public than I do if you think a jury will find something racially motivated that isn’t overtly so
Juries are peak society.
There is no higher power coming to decide things for us, it’s only us.
A good trial attorney can explain complex and even uncomfortable things to random people in an engaging way that anyone can understand. Don’t have to rely on the jury’s ability to understand something for themselves, just their ability to learn, and the lawyer’s ability to inform.
This is how america is destroying its youth and their future just because they refuse to comply with their racist demands. This is how the entire world sees america.
Especially non-white youth. These ‘rules’ are designed specifically as a bludgeon to use against poc.
Well have fun judging an entire country based on a shit tier school in one of our most shit tier red states. What utopia free of all racism are you from?
I keep hearing America is the land of freedom and that Europe is way more racist than America.
This story would have never happened in Europe. Suspended because of a hairstyle, wtf.
This is a newsworthy isolated incident. It’s newsworthy because of the ridiculous stance of the principal.
Can we talk about France’s stance on hijabs in school?
Not isolated at all. Black kids (especially girls) get targeted all the time. It’s usually ignored or doesn’t make the news.
Lol if you think banning hijab as a good whataboutism example wait till you hear your hair is banned and must wear hijab to even attend public school.
Just here to point out that UK schools have also illegally forbidden some students from wearing afro hairstyles. In that case and this one, it’s against the law. The hope is that this treatment will not continue in both cases. We don’t need to resort to playing the suffering Olympics or whose country is worse pissing contests
Can we talk about France’s stance on hijabs in school?
lmao, what?
ANY religious clothing is banned in France. This isn’t Discriminatory, as it applies to Christians, Buddhists, Hindus etc just as it does to Muslims.
Maybe actually inform yourself before you start with whataboutism?
Which of those religions considers it a requirement to wear certain clothing?
We all know who it was aimed at.
all of those religions have enforced religious garb for some members. priests, monks, nuns, bishops, the pope…
They also perform rituals on babies and young adolescents.
Cool story
Then that school policy is fine too, as it bans Anyone from wearing dreadlocks. This applies to the white Texans, the Hispanic Texans, the Black Texans etc.
That reasoning doesn’t work. It’s targeted against a certain group of marginalized people just like the Hijab law and the same principle.
No. it’d be comparable if all Hairstyles were forbidden.
Since only one type of Hairstyle is forbidden, it’s not the same.
The post being replied to said this would never happen in Europe, do no whataboutism here.
Can we talk about France’s stance on hijabs in school?
Yeah. I support it. I also support this young women’s choice to hair style.
Your false equivalency says more about you then anything else you wrote.
Get every fucking church out of public school and tax them.
Okay, so how much money would it cost to get you to openly admit what happened to this dude is wrong and it’s irrelevant what happens in other countries?
$10 via Cashapp? Venmo, perhaps?
Hijabs in France.
Texas is a GOP-strangled shithole, but Europe isn’t squeaky-clean, either.
I was suspended for my hairstyle on a number of occasions, in the UK. Bald now… the final humiliation.
Admittedly quite a lot of Brits would prefer not to admit that we are, in fact, in Europe. But Ruby Williams: No child with afro hair should suffer like me
What a shithole.
Hope he gets into a college as far away as possible.
Imagine being sent to the school with all the unruly and undisciplined kids because of your hairstyle. Crazy and so fucking racist.
Isn’t this in Texas or somewhere equally as shitty? They would have sent him to prison for his hair if they could have. School to prison pipeline is real.
Texas passed the CROWN-act to combat hair-based racial discrimination because that very same school already lost two cases where they discriminated black youths because of their hair.
For once Texas is on the right side.
Even Texas said this was too far
Imagine being more bigoted than Texas
So if it was some freaky white chick with pink and purple hair all over the place would it be racist then? Because those policies apply to them too. Don’t be ignorant.
So if it was some freaky white chick with pink and purple hair all over the place would it be racist then? Because those policies apply to them too. Don’t be ignorant.
Okay, where are the white kids being penalized by this rule?
It doesn’t matter if “these rules apply to white kids” if they are only actually applied to poc.
Happens all the time, except that doesn’t make the news, because they’re white, so even if they get suspended, or totally expelled, it’s not new worthy. Nobody cares if a white kid is punished, or for that fact if a white person is killed by a black cop. Racism would almost never be accused, even by the white people. All that said, My niece is one of them. She’s in her punk/rocker phase and her crazy multi color hair has had her private school pissed off a handful of times, and yes, at one point suspension was threatened and my brother and sisnlaw had to go to the school (also private). My brother threatened them with better stuff and it sort of went a way, but still ongoing. Private schools do plenty of stupid shit, they don’t care whether you’re black or white, they want everybody to fall in line with their rules, which many times are complete bullshit.
“My niece has multicolour hair and hasn’t actually been suspended” is not the argument you think it is.
Of course it’s not, because she’s white. If she was black there would have been racial accusations and that’s what you want, so you can cry racist. Thanks for proving my point.
Of course it’s not, because she’s white.
“She hasn’t been suspended because she’s white” is definately not the argument you think it is.
(Yes, I know that wasn’t your intention but man, be careful how to word things maybe.)
Let’s take a look at the 2 situations here:
Situation 1:
POC going to a public school being disciplined due to their hair style.
Situation 2:
White kid going to a private school threatened with discipline due to their hair style, but not actually disciplined in any way just because their parents went in to talk to them.
I don’t know how any rational person looks at these and thinks “totally the same thing.”
Aside from the fact, you’re quoting "totally the same thing.” Which I never said, you’re ignoring the exact same situation, yet dismissing one because it had a better outcome, no thanks to my brother, simple because of race. You’re clearly tip toeing which is pretty damn obvious with Situation 1 being about a “POC”, yet situation 2 is a “white kid”, why not a black kid? Why not a Caucasian? Finny, how the stupid PC terms only come out for one side? Also why should I “be careful” how I worded something? The PC police coming for me?
The entire point is that literally the same dipshit rule exists, public and private, and kids get shit over it, and when one side if better at out arguing the school and it drops, it’s because of race, nothing else, which ignores the common sense that if that were truly the driver, then my niece wouldn’t have had that problem to begin with, but again… MAKE IT abuot race!
Question: Are black people ever affected by racism in any significant way?
private school
This boy was in public school. Private schools can be much more descriminatory.
No, he wasn’t. Barbers Hill is part of an Independent school district. Public Money, Privately run by a board of trustees, not the county. Not the same as regular county public schools.
They don’t want to be communists and they’re literally doing what the communists in my country used to do
They are being authoritarian, likely your country was also under an authoritarian regime in the past based on what you’re saying. Systems of economy are kinda separate
Or, both.
They want to be authoritarians, whatever flavor they have to be to have power.
They don’t want anyone else to have power over them.
So when they’re in the out group, they’ll ramp up the persecution narrative, and when they’re in power, they’ll ruthlessly repress everyone else.
All makes internal sense, if you’re an asshole.
Nobody else got downvoted a bunch except you, because you know Hexbear is reading
Not remotely communist nor were the folks in “your country” communists regardless of what anyone claims. Always apply the “Is North Korea really a Democracy” test to any such labeling.
