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Darryl George: Judge dismisses racial discrimination claim in civil rights lawsuit and allows sex discrimination claim to proceed

<i>Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Dr. Candice Matthews
Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
Dr. Candice Matthews

By Chandelis Duster, CNN

(CNN) — A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed claims of racial discrimination while allowing claims of sex discrimination to proceed in a federal civil rights lawsuit regarding a Texas student who hasĀ faced suspensions and disciplinary actions over the length of his locs hairstyle.

US District Court Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown said in his decision that the claims of racial discrimination in the lawsuit brought by Darryl George, a student at Barbers Hill High School, and his family ā€œhave not shown a persistent, widespread practice of disparate, race-based enforcementā€ of the hair policy.

ā€œAt most, the plaintiffs allege only two instances: the allegations underlying Georgeā€™s case and those underlying the Arnold case also pending in this court,ā€ Brown said, referencing another case of Black teen who was suspended over his hair. ā€œBut these two instances alone are insufficient to establish a pattern of conduct going on ā€˜for so long or so frequentlyā€™ that it evinces a ā€˜persistent, widespread practiceā€™.ā€

Regarding the claims of sex discrimination, Brown said while the school district gives reasons that show why they have a dress code, ā€œthey provide no support for the narrower question that forms the basis of this claim: what is the rationale for the dress codeā€™s distinction between male and female students?ā€

ā€œBecause the District does not provide any reason for the sex-based distinctions in its dress code, the claim survives this initial stage,ā€ Brown said.

The judge dismissed all of the familyā€™s other claims, including infringement of Georgeā€™s First Amendment free expression rights and request for ā€œcompensatory damages and injunctive and declaratory reliefā€ for claims of ā€œmental anguish.ā€

CNN has reached out to Georgeā€™s attorneys for comment.

Barbers Hill Independent School District Superintendent Greg Poole said in a statement Wednesday the decision to dismiss the racial claims ā€œvalidates what our district has maintained throughout this ordeal ā€¦ high expectations for all students in all things are not racist.ā€

ā€œOur policies and our procedures for 95 years have been established by our community via a locally elected board of trustees. Having high expectations for all students in all things is why we are one of the highest achieving districts in the state and it is why parents of all ethnicities continue to move to our district in record numbers,ā€ Poole wrote. ā€œOur district will not succumb to a cancerous cancel culture that seeks to intimidate, falsely accuse and use race in a disingenuous way to serve a political end.ā€

The ruling comes months after a separate federal judge ruled the stateā€™s CROWN Act ā€“ a law that prohibits discrimination against hair texture and protective hairstyles like locs and braids that are ā€œcommonly or historically associated with raceā€ ā€“ does not make it unlawful for school dress codes to limit a studentā€™s hair length, meaning it did not violate state law for the district to continue punishing George for the length of his locs hairstyle.

In the federal lawsuit, George and his attorneys had argued his suspension was a violation of that act and alleged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton failed to enforce the law, which went into effect September 1.

George and his family were seeking an injunction against Abbott and Paxton to compel them to stop the school district from ā€œexposing BHISD and Texas students to disciplinary punishment and disciplinary measures due to locs, braid, twists and other protective styles that are alleged to be or that are longer than the District or schoolsā€™ length requirement.ā€

Brown in his decision also dismissed the claims against Abbott and Paxton.

Attorneys for Abbott and Paxton had argued for dismissal, citing claims of immunity from lawsuits and saying they do not have ā€œenforcement authority under the CROWN Act, nor do they have a general duty to intervene when a public school district is merely accused of violating a studentā€™s constitutional rights or rights provided under a provision of State law.ā€

CNN has reached out to attorneys for Abbott and Paxton for comment.

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