Darryl George, a Texas high school student who sued his school for discriminating against him for having locs, was placed in an in-school suspension Tuesday after returning to school. The reason this time? The length of his hair, George’s spokesperson Dr. Candice Matthews confirmed.

The new disciplinary measure from Barbers Hill High School arrived immediately after he served a 48-day stay in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) for supposed “multiple infractions of campus and classroom rules,” according to the school.

Back in October, George’s lawyer Allie Booker told Rolling Stone that Darryl’s DAEP punishment is direct retaliation for his lawsuit against the Barbers Hill Independent School District. The September suit accuses George’s school of targeting the Black student’s hairstyle with a discriminatory dress and grooming policy. Black hair has long been an avenue for discrimination in the United States, as it is often considered unkempt or distracting by white-dominated organizations and professional environments.

On Aug. 31, George was pulled out of class and told his dreadlocks violated the school’s policy. The Barbers Hill High School dress code says male students’ hair cannot “be gathered or worn in a style that would allow the hair to extend below the top of a T-shirt collar, below the eyebrows, or below the ear lobes when let down.” George’s locs extend past his shirt collar, but are kept braided up above his lobes.

When George refused to cut his hair, the lawsuit claims he was “unethically hazed” by school staff, kept in in-school suspension, and prevented from accessing free lunch. George’s attorney Booker argues that the school’s actions violate the CROWN Act, a bill adopted in Texas that prohibits “discrimination based on race-based or protective hairstyles.”

Following the news of his in-school suspension Tuesday, Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Ron Reynolds told Rolling Stone that the school was “acting in bad faith” by continuing to discriminate against Black students for their hair.

“The spirit of The CROWN Act was passed to protect students like DeAndre Arnold and Darryl George from Barbers Hill discriminating against them for their protective hairstyle regardless of length,” Reynolds said Tuesday. “I will file an amendment to the bill during the next Legislative session that specifically addresses length to stop their pretextual argument to not comply with the CROWN Act.”

“They are acting in bad faith to continue discriminating against African American students,” he added.

Texas is one of 24 states that has passed a version of the CROWN Act, but the suit also accuses state officials of failing to enforce the law adequately. It also notes that no one commented on George’s hair until Aug. 31, one day before Texas’ CROWN Act went into effect.

Barbers Hill High School asked a Texas district court to specify whether the CROWN Act includes policies on hair length. In a statement to ABC13, the school district also added that they would refrain from “enhancing’ Darryl’s punishment while the court’s ruling was pending — a statement both Booker and his mother Darresha say the school has walked back by sending Darryl to a disciplinary program.

“He feels like he’s caged in, like he’s in jail,” George’s mom Darresha told Rolling Stone in October. “It’s like he’s locked up. He was falling behind already. And now he’s trying to play catch up and it’s hard to do when you’re already behind.”

“His locs represent his roots, represent his soul, his ancestors, his legacy,” she added. “It’s his culture. He not only has his locs in his hair, he has his ancestors’ hair weaved into the ends of his hair. So cutting that off is cutting them out of his life. And that’s that’s not fair to ask somebody to do.”

Topline

A Texas woman is asking a judge for permission to terminate her pregnancy due to a severe fetal anomaly, challenging Texas’ strict abortion laws that prohibit the procedure in most cases—a first-of-its-kind case since the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion last year.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“I’m trying to do what is best for my baby and myself, but the state of Texas is making us both suffer,” Cox said in a press release.

Key Background

Texas is one of several states to almost entirely ban abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, allowing states to heavily restrict or outlaw the procedure for the first time in nearly 50 years. Texas has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, banning them in most situations and allowing private citizens to sue people who help someone get an abortion. Texas is currently facing a lawsuit from women and doctors are challenging what the state’s law means for complicated pregnancies, but the state is arguing the plaintiffs don’t have the right to challenge it as none are seeking abortions due to medical challenges. That led to the lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Cox, who “cannot wait” for a decision to be made in the ongoing case. The pending lawsuit from women and doctors—Zurawski v. Texas—is asking for “clarification regarding the medical exceptions to Texas’s bans.” A Travis County District Court judge granted a temporary injunction against the law with regard to “Texans with life- or health-threatening pregnancy complications,” but the state immediately appealed it, preventing the injunction from taking effect. Cox’s lawsuit differs from Zurawski v. Texas in that it only requests a ruling in her situation rather than a ruling applying to the entire state, though a ruling for her could set precedent by making the state define when an abortion is allowed, according to the New York Times.

What To Watch For

A ruling in Zurawski v. Texas. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Texas Supreme Court—which heard arguments in the case late last month—is expected to issue a decision soon on if the state’s abortion ban applies in situations like Cox’s.

Further Reading

The Texas TribuneTexas woman asks judge to let her terminate pregnancy after lethal fetal diagnosisNytimesTexas Woman Asks Court to Allow Her Abortion

More than 4 million real Christmas trees are sold annually in Texas, supporting farms and agriculture businesses throughout the state. As the holiday season nears, Texas A&M Forest Service encourages purchasing real Christmas trees to help boost the Texas economy.

Texas A&M Forest Service recently conducted an economic study showing how much value the Christmas tree industry adds to the state. In 2022, the industry generated more than $714 million, including direct, indirect and induced economic impacts, while supporting nearly 6,000 jobs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the Texas Christmas tree industry ranks second in the southern U.S., based on average annual employment and wages for 2022.

“It’s a tradition in many households to have a real Christmas tree,” said Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer, Texas A&M Forest Service forest analytics department head. “The process of going as a family to pick out a tree is a fun activity that supports rural economies across the state.”