A Texas high school sent a Black student back to in-school suspension for refusing to change his hairstyle, renewing a monthslong standoff over a dress code policy the teen’s family calls discriminatory.

The student, Darryl George, was suspended for 13 days because his hair is out of compliance when let down, according to a disciplinary notice issued by Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas. It was his first day back at the school after spending a month at an off-site disciplinary program.

George, 18, already has spent more than 80% of his junior year outside of his regular classroom.

He was first pulled from the classroom at the Houston-area school in August after school officials said his braided locs fell below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violated the district’s dress code. His family argues the punishment violates the CROWN Act, which became law in Texas in September and is intended to prohibit race-based hair discrimination. The school says the CROWN Act does not address hair length.

  • Flying Squid
    40•1 year ago

    It’s always confused me why schools think suspension would be an effective punishment when the kid often doesn’t want to be in class anyway (not in the case of this kid obviously) and definitely won’t be learning anything.

    • @[email protected]
      12•1 year ago

      It’s what you do when you can’t deal with a child to prevent them fucking up other people’s schooling.

      I guess it also puts pressure on the parents to do something.

      • Flying Squid
        21•1 year ago

        Except, at least when I was in school, they’re not given schoolwork to do when in suspension. They just have to sit there and do nothing all day. They don’t learn anything.

        • cooljacob204
          5•1 year ago

          When I was in school your teachers would put together work for you to do.

        • @[email protected]
          13•1 year ago

          Well his locks are too long. So it’s obviously a security concern since other students could trip over them and fall. /s

      • cooljacob204
        6•1 year ago

        Except it’s not used like that, it’s used to discipline anything they feel is a “big” deal.

        Funny story, I got a week suspension in middle school for bringing a low powered laser to school. On the same day friend of mine lit a fire in his desk and got 3 days.

        The school admin was pushing for a much worse penalty for me for some reason and my parents flipped their shit and somehow got it “reduced” to a week.