Fate of lawsuit filed by Black Texas student punished over hairstyle in hands of federal judge

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News/AP

May 23, 2024, 6:30 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press


GALVESTON, Texas — A federal judge did not issue an immediate ruling on Thursday after hearing legal arguments over whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Black high school student who has alleged racial and gender discrimination over his monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle.

Darryl George, 18, has not been in his regular Houston-area high school classes since Aug. 31 because the district, Barbers Hill, says the length of his hair violates its dress code.

The district has argued that George’s long hair, which he wears to school in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.

Darryl George and his mother, Darresha George, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit last year over his punishment against the school district, the district superintendent, his principal and assistant principal as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/fate-lawsuit-filed-texas-student-darryl-george-hairstyle-hands-federal-rcna153835

[John Shaft]

1. Ever since slavery times

they still keep trying to control Black bodies (hair in this case).

[HarryM]

2. The same goes

For "Hippies." Though I have never been to Texass, I do know that back in the day, us guys with long hair, no matter their race, would get crap. I guess that things have not changed.
I still have long hair, and even recently, someone mistook me for a person of the other gender.

[John Shaft]

3. If you were a white male

with long hair in the American south prior to the 1960s, you would still be considered "Human."

White dominion over black bodies is not the same.

A White hippie might get an involuntary haircut back then, a Black man would be lynched. Power dynamic/differential is different.

[lark]

6. Nope, they were way more hateful to hippies than that.

Don't know where you lived, but in the south way worse than that happened. Hippies were beat up, killed and raped if they could.

Of course, it wasn't safe for blacks either.

[John Shaft]

8. What a breathtakingly historically ignorant take.

I was born in Mississippi in 1942.

The lowest white man was considered more worthy of dignity than any Black person.

That's why I had to piss and shit in "Coloreds Only" restrooms. I remember that.

[lark]

10. I'm sure things were worse in the 40's than the 50's when I was born.

It was awful here too, even in the 50's and 60's. I remember the race riots, especially around schools. It was a terrible time to be black here. Hippies didn't occur until the late 60's and it was a choice for us, while blacks had no choice. Hippies weren't considered white men or women, by going counter culture the main culture hated us. I know our lives was in jeopardy when I was traveling through TX and LA but we played it smart and survived. Luckily I had a big German Shepherd in our van so when they tried to break in it failed!! So glad they didn't have a gun or we'd have been done for.

Your title is way out of line, btw.

[gay texan]

11. It was still true in the late 80's

In north east texas. You were getting stopped by the police and they would interogate you. If they didnt find anything, you were then proselityized (sp) to because gawd hates long hair.

[Vinca]

4. I could never see what the "problem" was with this kid's hair. It looked fine to me.

[twodogsbarking]

5. Looked very nice to me and I am a skinny white old man.

[AZLD4Candidate]

7. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.

Regimentation, compliance, obedience. This is how they run schools in Communist China. School administrators are scum everywhere. Little dictators in their personal fiefdom.

[TxGuitar]

9. Any place east of downtown Houston is a pit.

Pure and simple- Baytown, Beaumont, Vidor, Mont Belvieu. West of downtown and south of 1-10 (once you get to the Spring Branch area). We live in Fort Bend county- (which is part of the greater Houston metroplex)- As an example- there are 9 high schools in our district- 9 valedictorians and 9 salutatorians- 11 were female and 7 male- not a white male on the list. (and all had GPA's above 4.6). Texas is trying to get there- it will take time and we HAVE to get rid of Abbott, Paxton and Patrick. But on a local level- everyone needs to vote- we have not had kids in school since 2007- and we still vote in the school board elections.

[NanaCat]

12. Make it a sex discrimination suit

If girls can have long hair, then why can't guys?

If it's a safety issue because long hair can get stuck in doors or what have you, or a hygiene issue because long hair can clog drains, then the same concerns apply to long hair with women as it does with men.