After the black student in Texas was suspended in school for more than a month, it was revealed that he was removed from school and sent to an alternative education program for his hairstyle called dreadlocks on Thursday.
Darryl George, a 17-year-old junior, at Barbers Hill High School, was decided to be sent to an alternative education program (EPIC) from Oct. 12 through Nov. 29. Principal Lance Murphy sent his family the letter, stating that he repeatedly violated Barbers Hill High School’s student conduct and regulations that “prohibit male students from having hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a T-shirt collar,” in multiple campuses, according to AP.
Principal Murphy also mentions that George will be returned to the regular classroom on Nov. 30, but he must discuss his conduct with the school administrator beforehand.
George’s hairstyle is controversial in two ways.
First, his family and its attorney claim that his hairstyle doesn’t violate his school’s dress code to begin with. As a defense, his family “filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s governor,” which allows discrimination based on hairstyle to continue to exist, according to AP.
In addition, this incident essentially violates the CROWN Act, George’s family insists. As the official articulates the motto, “We’re ending hair discrimination,” it must not be allowed to discriminate by their hair color or its texture by law.
“’Although we believe the new law does not govern hair length, we are asking the judicial system of Texas to interpret,’ Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole said in a statement on Wednesday,” according to CNN. The officials seemingly try to avoid misconceptional comments, by relying on what judges say, while George and his family are still fighting over the crucial argument.
Yet, this kind of argument never stops rising, while the majority believe that the school’s decision was unreasonable. Not only in American society, but it’s also controversial among Japanese society, regarding students’ “inappropriate hairstyles” in educational circumstances. People are raising their voices for there to be a change and obtain freedom in their looks.
