A Black student’s family sues Texas officials over his suspension for hairstyle

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.

phillaholic,

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.

kamen,

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

NickwithaC,
@NickwithaC@lemmy.world avatar

It’s not the hair…

elbarto777,

It was never about the hair.

GillyGumbo,

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,
@scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech avatar

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

flying_sheep,
@flying_sheep@lemmy.ml avatar

*boy

elbarto777,

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

Mirshe,

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

ruckblack,

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,

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

Pyr_Pressure,

Yay small government?

NuPNuA,

So can schools in the UK and Japan from what I understand. It’s not uncommon. At the end of the day, school is there to prepare you for work and if an employer has a dress code in the contract you sign shouting “racist” at them isn’t going to help.

FluffyPotato,

Yea, both the UK and Japan are pretty fucked, I would not take policy from there. I have yet know of a job with a dress code other than fast food places or cooking also if your contract tried to define hair length or style anywhere it would most likely be void anyways.

jadedwench,

Meh. A lot of offices require “business casual”, but that is getting relaxed all over too due to the break from workwear during the pandemic. It is common sense at this point. I am glad I haven’t had to stress over corporate dress code for a few years now. I felt like I was in highschool agonizing if someone would freak out over a sleeveless shirt or if stretchy black jeans would get called out.

As for uniforms proper, I have seen a tiny bit in the trades, mechanics, etc with jumpsuits or shirts. I just think of it as provided safety gear and clothes that can get dirty without destroying your own.

After working in an industry for over a decade where I had to wear safety vests, shoes, and hardhats, I got over how I looked. The number of idiots that would complain about having to wear a bright safety vest because they didn’t look fashionable was ridiculous, and that included me right at first. I at least never refused to do something I was being paid and expected to do because I would get my precious work clothes and bright pink safety “vest” dirty.

ADHD rambling aside, but as long as the clothes are not uncomfortable, sexist, and restrictions are loosened during extreme weather, I will wear whatever within reason. My hair though? Fuck you it is my body and I will do what I want with it, barring having to pull it back at a job site for safety reasons.

assassin_aragorn,

The pandemic has permanently changed my perception of dress codes. All of us worked perfectly fine in hoodies and shorts. Because of not needing to dedicate time in the morning to my appearance, I can sleep in a bit and be better rested too. I’m happier and more effective.

So naturally the old executive guard disagrees at large corporations, but we’ll see if that lasts.

Rootiest,

Maybe in Texas.

We’ll see how the lawsuit plays out

totallynotarobot,

What is an “in-school suspension?”

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

squirmy_wormy,

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,

TIL thanks. Sounds grim.

isthingoneventhis,

The American schooling system is basically formulated to prep you for a 9-5 job by simulating miserable working conditions, general misery, and the ever present threat of violence in some form or fashion.

blueskiesoc,
@blueskiesoc@lemmy.world avatar

Not every state. This is Texas. I’m in California and my kid went to school with shoulder length hair that was half blue. My relatives in Texas kept asking what the school was doing about it. There’s nothing on the books about hair and the principal said it looked cool. Hair has always been a control issue in bible thumping communities, which I thankfully am no longer around.

affiliate,

i’ve never really understood why they get so uptight about hair color and dress codes in general. is it just to maintain uniformity and control because they’re scared of change?

i’m not that stylish and personally don’t like the look of hair that’s dyed a color that doesn’t “show up naturally” (for lack of a better term), but it’s just my own personal taste and i think it’s important people are able to look and dress how they want. i also don’t like sports jerseys, but wouldn’t go around trying to ban those.

but it seems like these people get offended when they see people dress a way they don’t like, and their gut reaction is to make rules forbidding it. why? it seems like a lot of work that ultimately makes everyone miserable, when it’s much less effort to just accept that people are different and move on.

BurriedCondor,

When I was growing up 30ish years ago, they implemented uniforms and said that it was to prevent bullying based on the clothes people wear. However, they failed to take into account the cost for struggling parents to maintain 2 sets of clothes. The policy got reversed after a few years.

squirmy_wormy,

This is a genuine question: have you ever seen someone dressed in a way that you found inappropriate for an occasion? Or if not, can you imagine a scenario where that exists? Wearing white at a wedding, wearing bright colors at a funeral, etc? If so, you understand what these people feel. They take it to a very dumb place, but that’s where the offence comes from. Luckily it seems to be dying in many ways - and having a less than fun rebirth in others

affiliate,

i haven’t seen one first hand but i can imagine such a scenario. this was a very good explanation, thank you.

what you said got me thinking a bit more about this and it’s made me wonder how much of this might be related to all the etiquette rules that people used to live by. i remember some of my older relatives getting visibly bothered if i held a fork the wrong way or put my elbows on the table, because it went against what they had drilled into their heads in classes when they were younger.

the ways i’ve heard the classes described make them sound like the teachers were very strict and were basically teaching children to be offended at behaviors that were “deviating from the norm” (for lack of a better term). i don’t know any people my age who attended etiquette classes, but my understanding is that it used to be much more common for older people.

i can’t help but wonder if the decreased cultural importance of etiquette is part of the reason people are more tolerant of different appearances. in some sense, they weren’t “taught” to be offended.

sederx,

Seems formulates to prepare you for jail…

WHYAREWEALLCAPS,

Ding We got a winner!

squirmy_wormy,

Lol what? That seems like a bit of a stretch.

sederx,

The US are fucked up

Marcbmann,

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,

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,

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.

BossDj,

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

corroded,

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,

Texas. They love the government all up in their business

NatakuNox,
@NatakuNox@lemmy.world avatar

Republicans. They love to tell the “others” how to live their lives. Remember, there always must be a enemy or persons to fight or oppress. No one is safe, no matter who you are your demographic is on the chopping block, their just busy attacking the most recent emancipated group. Today is trans people and women, tomorrow will be the rest of LGBTQ+, after that Irish and jew.

Catoblepas,

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,

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,

Skin color is probably a factor here.

Skin color is the only factor here.

30mag,

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

texastribune.org/…/prewrite-after-black-student-s…

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

texastribune.org/…/texas-school-dreadlocks-ban/

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

www.texastribune.org/2023/…/texas-crown-act-law/

be_excellent_to_each_other,
@be_excellent_to_each_other@kbin.social avatar

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,

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

affiliate,

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.

garretble,
@garretble@lemmy.world avatar

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,

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.

Drusas,

It's about control. Racism and control.

sin_free_for_00_days,

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.

ericisshort,

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

A_Toasty_Strudel,
@A_Toasty_Strudel@lemmy.world avatar

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,
@MudMan@kbin.social avatar

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,
@dojan@lemmy.world avatar

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.

NuPNuA,

It’s not just the Angloshphere, looking at this page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniforms_by_countryPlenty of countries across Africa, Central/South America, the middle east and Asia have uniforms too.

MudMan,
@MudMan@kbin.social avatar

Yeeeah, that's fair, but we're talking about an anglosphere country, we're talking about dress codes rather than uniforms and I really didn't want to stop to dig into the roots and history of school uniforms anyway.

Point is, dress codes in school are weird.

Zahille7,

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.

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