[Action80]

There will be a trial in a Texas court later regarding the Barbers Hill School District's decision to deny regular classroom access to a student (18-year-old Darryl George) due to the length of his hair. The school district has a dress code policy in place that limits the length of the hair for a male student. George claims the school district policy violates a new Texas law that was enacted in September of last year, called the CROWN Act. Barbers Hill School District Superintendent Greg Poole claims the district is not violating the CROWN Act and that, "being an American requires conformity."

A couple of things strike me as unusual about this situation.

1) The fact the school district is named "Barbers Hill," and the issue is over hair length.

2) Since when does being American require conformity? I thought the country was based on individualism and non-conformity.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-texas-school-s-punishment-of-a-black-student-who-wears-his-hair-in-locs-is-going-to-trial/ar-BB1hcCPr?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=55e2b0dbca9647feb2be72740c0bbdcd&ei=31

[DuncanDoenitz]

Not my country, not my legal system, not my school board and not my choice of tonsorial elegance but, ffs, what is this; the 1960s?  Isn't a State court a rather heavy steamhammer against bad hair?  Jeepers, if your hair/attire/adornments aren't endangering or offending the public, what's the problem? 

[Tom Bishop]

Not my country, not my legal system, not my school board and not my choice of tonsorial elegance but, ffs, what is this; the 1960s?  Isn't a State court a rather heavy steamhammer against bad hair?  Jeepers, if your hair/attire/adornments aren't endangering or offending the public, what's the problem?

Dress code requirements are also not endangering the public, so what's the issue?

[Lord Dave]

The Poole guy sounds like an asshole who wrote a policy to keep boys from looking like girls and is doubling down on enforcement.

[AATW]

Not my country, not my legal system, not my school board and not my choice of tonsorial elegance but, ffs, what is this; the 1960s?  Isn't a State court a rather heavy steamhammer against bad hair?  Jeepers, if your hair/attire/adornments aren't endangering or offending the public, what's the problem?

Dress code requirements are also not endangering the public, so what's the issue?

I thought you were the "land of the free"?

[Action80]

Here is a picture of the offending student. To me, it makes no sense regarding any issue with hair length.

If the purpose of the dress code is to avoid having boys look like girls, they should make Nancy remove those studs from his ears.

To deem this as somehow violating any reasonable dress code for a learning environment seems to be quite a reach.

[Roundy]

Not my country, not my legal system, not my school board and not my choice of tonsorial elegance but, ffs, what is this; the 1960s?  Isn't a State court a rather heavy steamhammer against bad hair?  Jeepers, if your hair/attire/adornments aren't endangering or offending the public, what's the problem?

Dress code requirements are also not endangering the public, so what's the issue?

I thought you were the "land of the free"?

Tom picks and chooses what he feels we have a right to be free about. Mask mandates? Don't hurt anyone, ultimately help the public, fascist theft of our civil liberties. Dress codes? Don't hurt anyone, don't really help anyone either, perfectly reasonable theft of our civil liberties!

You see?

[Tom Bishop]

Where have I said anything negative about mask mandates?

[Action80]

Not my country, not my legal system, not my school board and not my choice of tonsorial elegance but, ffs, what is this; the 1960s?  Isn't a State court a rather heavy steamhammer against bad hair?  Jeepers, if your hair/attire/adornments aren't endangering or offending the public, what's the problem?

Dress code requirements are also not endangering the public, so what's the issue?

I thought you were the "land of the free"?

Tom picks and chooses what he feels we have a right to be free about. Mask mandates? Don't hurt anyone, ultimately help the public, fascist theft of our civil liberties. Dress codes? Don't hurt anyone, don't really help anyone either, perfectly reasonable theft of our civil liberties!

You see?

Roundy, Tom wasn't against mask mandates as far as I know.

I was. Because they do harm people.

[Lord Dave]

Here is a picture of the offending student. To me, it makes no sense regarding any issue with hair length.

If the purpose of the dress code is to avoid having boys look like girls, they should make Nancy remove those studs from his ears.

To deem this as somehow violating any reasonable dress code for a learning environment seems to be quite a reach.

I agree.  Perhaps he's just racist?

[Roundy]

Where have I said anything negative about mask mandates?

Ok, I admit it. Apparently I was wr... I was wro...

I may possibly have been mistaken. Apologies for making an assumption based on your political leanings

Roundy, Tom wasn't against mask mandates as far as I know.

I was. Because they do harm people.

How so? 

[Lord Dave]

Where have I said anything negative about mask mandates?

Ok, I admit it. Apparently I was wr... I was wro...

I may possibly have been mistaken. Apologies for making an assumption based on your political leanings

Roundy, Tom wasn't against mask mandates as far as I know.

I was. Because they do harm people.

How so? 

No!  No!  Do not begin this shit again.  We have a few hundred posts on the subject.

A80 is being civil and coming out against something stupid.  Lets leave it at that.

[Action80]

Where have I said anything negative about mask mandates?

Ok, I admit it. Apparently I was wr... I was wro...

I may possibly have been mistaken. Apologies for making an assumption based on your political leanings

Roundy, Tom wasn't against mask mandates as far as I know.

I was. Because they do harm people.

How so? 

You can feel free to research the matter yourself, if you care.

There are plenty of post-Covid research papers detailing the deleterious effects of mask mandates on all population demographics.

[Pete Svarrior]

Here is a picture of the offending student. To me, it makes no sense regarding any issue with hair length.
[...]

Wait, what? This person's hair isn't even long. I agree, this is silly.

[garygreen]

action80 and i agree on something. this is EPIC.

[Tom Bishop]

I don't believe the state is refusing to provide an education to this guy. They enrolled him into an alternative school. He just can't go to a school with high standards for grooming and conduct. I don't understand why all schools must be forced to accept and tolerate this:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/barbers-hill-isd-upholds-hair-policy-18614557.php

At one point, George was sent to an alternative school in October for what the school district’s spokesperson said in an email was “multiple infractions,” including classroom disruption, tardy policy violations and violation of the district’s “dress and grooming policy.” He returned seven weeks later and was placed on in-school suspension again for not complying with the hair policy.

Many schools have always had conduct and grooming standards. Dress and grooming is a matter of discipline, which is historically part of the educational curriculum.

[markjo]

I think that it would greatly depend on whether it’s a public or private school.  Public schools would be obligated to go with the state standard (CROWN Act), while private schools that aren’t beholden to state aid would have more freedom to enact their own standards.

[Tom Bishop]

In the link I posted the school is objecting to that interpretation of the Crown Act and believe that it doesn't prohibit length restrictions.

The state owes you an accredited secondary education, but that doesn't mean that you can go to a school which requires a school uniform and refuse to wear that uniform. If you refuse to abide by uniform or grooming regulations you will simply be placed in a school which is more flexible in that regard, which is what happened here.

The state says that there is a school for his choice of style. It's just not that one.

[Lord Dave]

In the link I posted the school is objecting to that interpretation of the Crown Act and believe that it doesn't prohibit length restrictions.

The state owes you an accredited education, but that doesn't mean that you can go to a school which requires a school uniform and refuse to wear that uniform. If you refuse to abide by uniform or grooming regulations you will simply be placed in a school which is more flexible in that regard, which is what happened here.

The state says that there is a school for his choice of style. It's just not that one.

Uhhh Tom? Almost all school districts don't give a choice on where you go.  You are required to attend the school assinged to you based on your address.  Not like he can voluntarily go elsewhere without moving to a different address.

The 'Alternative school' is a step away from Juvie.

Likely this one:
https://www.bhisd.net/schools/daep

Its meant for students who don't fit into a more open school so they send them to one more prison like or military like.  Do you think thats fitting for a teen who has a specific hair style?

[Tom Bishop]

I believe the state is required to put the alternative school in his area and not force people to move. There can be multiple grade levels in a classroom, or there can even be no classroom. There are often options for the student to complete most of the work in packets at home, with occasional meet with their teacher, or occasional proctored test.

There are ways to put alternative schools in the student's area cheaply without the full infrastructure of a traditional school, meeting the education needs of students with disciplinary issues, allowing them to get their accredited High School diploma.