MONT BELVIEU, Texas — On Friday, a state district judge ruled that Barbers Hill ISD did not violate Texas' CROWN Act when it punished a Black student over the length of his locs.
The CROWN Act, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in May 2023, prohibits race-based discrimination. State Rep. Ron Reynolds co-authored the law and called the ruling a "gut punch" during a live interview on KHOU 11 News.
"Darryl and his mother, we were all so optimistic and really thinking, 'Finally, he has a day in court. We're going to present the evidence and testify to the judge on legislative intent,'" Reynolds said.
Darryl George, an 18-year-old junior who attended Barbers Hill High School, has not been in his regular classes since Aug. 31 because the district argued that the length of his locs violates its dress code. The district said if his hair was let down, it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows, or earlobes. George's family claimed he never wore his hair down.
"It was very emotional," Reynolds said of the judge's ruling. "Darryl was arguably, understandably just shaken. His mother and him were in tears and it was sad. It went from optimism to excitement to pure nightmare knowing that he can't go back to school."
George said the way he wears his hair is important to who he is.
"It's how I feel closer to my people. It's how I feel closer to my ancestors. It’s just me. It’s how I am," George said.
"He will continue to be isolated unless he makes the dreadful choice of cutting his hair that he has a right to wear because of his expression, his culture, his race," Reynolds said. "Yesterday was one of the lowest feelings that I've had in a long, long time."
The state representative said that while the CROWN Act can be amended, changes to the law will have to wait until the next legislative session in January 2025 and wouldn't go into effect until September 2025.
"The only option he has legislatively is for us to fix it," Reynolds said.
George and his attorneys intend to appeal the judge's ruling. His family has also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal lawsuit against Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.