The superintendent of Barbers Hill School District in Texas is taking defense to a new level. Greg Poole took out a full-page ad defending the decision to suspend student Darryl George, claiming his locs hairstyle violated the school dress code, The Messenger reported.
“Being an American requires conformity with the positive benefit of unity,” Poole wrote while referencing strict regulations at military academies. “We have taken the highly unusual step of seeking a declaratory judgment in state district court to verify our interpretation.”
His letter continued alleging George and his family moved from a district that allowed longer hair and had to sign an agreement to follow district rules. “Ultimately, this is an issue of local control and deciding who should be setting the policies, goals and expectations of our school district,” Poole wrote.
However, George isn’t backing down either. According to NBC News , after he and his family filed a lawsuit alleging his punishment for wearing locs violates the CROWN Act; the case is now set to go to trial. Administrators at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, TX, claim George violated the district dress code that limits hair length for boys. The Georges allude to racial discrimination as the issue.