It’s being reported that 18-year-old Darryl George, who has been on a monthlong suspension from his high school over his locs hairstyle, has been moved to a disciplinary alternative education program as of today (Oct. 12).
On Wednesday (Oct. 11), Darryl’s mother, Darresha George, shared a letter to Associated Press from Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, TX that began, “Your child has engaged in chronic or repeated disciplinary infractions that violate the district’s previously communicated standards of student conduct.” The letter, written by Principal Lance Murphy, then listed those infractions, which included disruption of the classroom, failure to comply with staff directives, tardy policy violations, and violation of the district’s dress and grooming policy.
As a result, Darryl will be sent to EPIC, an alternative school program, from Oct. 12 through Nov. 29 for what’s being considered a failure to comply with the aforementioned policies. He will be able to return to a regular classroom at Barbers Hill on Nov. 30 — but not before first meeting with school administrators to discuss his conduct.
As previously reported by REVOLT, Darryl and his family filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s governor and attorney general. They alleged that those parties failed to enforce the CROWN Act, which is intended to remove discrimination based on a person’s hairstyle. That law, which is fully known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act, was first adopted by California in 2019. The House of Representatives passed the bill in 2022.
“As long as hair is not below the lobes, below the eyelids, hiding his eyes, on the nape of the neck, or at the collar, he’s fine,” said Darryl’s attorney, Allie Booker, who explained why his client’s hair wasn’t breaking the school’s policy at the time of their filing. “It doesn’t matter if he twists his locs up.”