Trial to begin Thursday over Barbers Hill ISD student's hair dispute

ANAHUAC, Texas (KTRK) -- A trial over a Barbers Hill ISD student's CROWN Act dispute is set to begin Thursday.

It's an ongoing fight that Darryl George and his family have been battling for some time now.

The school district has said George's long hair, which he wears in neatly tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates a district dress code that limits hair length for boys. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy. But George believes the district is violating a state law.

Texas' CROWN Act, which went into effect in September 2023, prohibits race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles, including Afros, braids, locs, twists, or Bantu knots.

RELATED: 'It feels like déj vu': Student suspended due to his hairstyle amid TX law banning discrimination

Since the start of the debacle, George has not been in his regular classroom. Instead, he has been serving an in-school suspension or in an off-site disciplinary program.

In January 2024, a judge ordered a trial to determine whether George can continue being punished by the district for refusing to change his hairstyle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.