“Confidentiality does not allow us to disclose the infractions that caused his current disciplinary placement but it was unequivocally not because of his hair,” he said.Īllie Booker, an attorney for George and his family, called the move “retaliation” for the family’s ongoing legal dispute with the school district.įrom left, Darresha Jones and her son, Darryl. Greg Poole, superintendent of the Barbers Hill Independent School District, told CNN George was not referred to an alternative school because of his hair. The letter cites the Texas Education Code, which states “if the period of placement in the alternative education program does not extend beyond 60 days … this decision is final.” George will be allowed to return to class on November 30, according to the notice.īut the notice also states the family will not be able to appeal the referral to an alternative school. Greg Abbott, the state’s attorney general, and school officials for allegedly failing to enforce the law. Last month, George and his mother, Darresha, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Texas Gov. The George family refuses to cut the teen’s hair and argues the district’s policy is a violation of the Texas CROWN Act, a law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of hairstyles “commonly associated with race.” School officials had previously warned George and his family that continued violation of the dress code would result in a referral to an alternative program, CNN previously reported. Brazziell/American-Statesman/USA Today NetworkĪ legal battle in Texas over a Black student's hairstyle has renewed calls for a national CROWN Act. The CROWN Act prohibits discrimination based on certain hair textures or protective hairstyles historically and culturally associated with race in schools, workplaces, and housing. The decision to send George to an alternative program is the latest escalation in a legal fight over whether the teenager’s locs hairstyle – which he often wears in braids or a ponytail – is a violation of the school district’s dress code which places limitations on how long a male students’ hair can be. “As the School Principal, I have determined that your child has engaged in chronic or repeated disciplinary infractions that violate the District’s previously communicated standards of student conduct,” Murphy writes in the notice. The letter, signed by Barbers Hill High School principal Lance Murphy, cites violations for “multiple infractions of campus and classroom rules” including, “disruption of the ISS classroom, failure to comply with directives from staff/administration, violation of tardy policy and violation of the dress and grooming policy.” A Black Texas high school student who has been suspended for more than a month over the length of his locs hairstyle has been referred to an alternative school, according to a notice sent to his mother from his school principal and obtained by CNN.ĭarryl George, 18, will be placed in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, also known as an alternative school, through Nov 29, the notice said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |