Darryl George’s federal lawsuit against Barbers Hill Independent School District has officially concluded.

On July 24, U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Brown dismissed the case with prejudice, closing it permanently and preventing George from refiling the same claims in federal court.

Superintendent Greg Poole told the Houston Chronicle that the ruling “vindicates our district,” after the school system had been widely accused of discrimination.

George, who wears his hair in dreadlocks styled in a bun-like roll, faced multiple disciplinary actions during the 2023–2024 school year, including suspension, because his hairstyle exceeded the length allowed by the district’s dress code. The policy prohibits male students from wearing hair below the eyebrows, ear lobes, or shirt collar, and restricts styles that would extend past those points when let down.

The CROWN Act, which bars discrimination based on hair texture or protective styles, went into effect in Texas on Sept. 1, 2023. Despite that law, Judge Brown ruled in favor of the district, writing: “The court understands George’s position well. Nevertheless, the district remains entitled to summary judgment. End of story.”

Ahead of the 2024–2025 academic year, Judge Brown threw out George’s race discrimination allegations but let a separate claim of sex discrimination remain under consideration. In the end, he sided with Barbers Hill ISD on that point as well, reasoning that the district’s rules were “substantially related to career readiness” and emphasizing that “it’s legal for employers to differentiate based on sex in their dress codes.” 

While the federal lawsuit has now been dismissed, George’s broader challenge is not over. A state court previously upheld Barbers Hill’s right to maintain its hair-length policy, but that decision is under appeal before the First Court of Appeals after being transferred from Austin.

According to court documents: "The Court should decline to dismiss the appeal because, as a direct result of the district removing Mr. George from regular curricular instruction during his entire junior year of high school, he has suffered concrete educational disadvantages and/or disabilities - the effects of which will persist and continue to stigmatize him and cannot be absolved merely by dismissing the appeal as moot.”