Texas Schools Settle Hair-Length Dress Code Case
Parents of Texas students should review school grooming rules, since a district's boys hair policy has largely survived recent court challenges.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Barbers Hill ISD's board approved a nuisance value settlement on Friday, November 6, 2026, ending the 2020 federal lawsuit brought by former students De'Andre Arnold and Kaden Bradford over hair-length rules. All claims against the district in that case will be dropped, and the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund will pay the nominal amount.
Why it matters
The case centered on whether the district's grooming policy for locs violated protections against race and sex discrimination, a dispute that touched student hair rules across Texas schools for more than six years. Separately, a federal judge dismissed former student Darryl George's case on July 24, ruling for the district and permanently barring him from refiling, so the district's grooming policy has now largely survived court challenges in Texas.
The Arnold and Bradford lawsuit was filed in May 2020, and a preliminary injunction was granted for Kaden Bradford in August 2020. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the district's interlocutory appeal in November 2025, clearing the path to the November 2026 settlement.
The players
Barbers Hill ISD
A Texas public school district whose grooming policy for boys drew the hair-length lawsuits.
Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund
A risk pool that covers school district legal liabilities and hired two lawyers to represent the district.
The details
The district accepted a nuisance value settlement proposal on the recommendation of TASB risk pool leadership, and the risk pool requested authorization to pay the nominal amount with its own funds. The Arnold and Bradford plaintiffs argued the district's grooming policies on locs amounted to race and sex discrimination, while George contends that the length of his locs is protected under the CROWN Act. Barbers Hill ISD maintains that George's hair length violated the district dress code for boys.
Timeline
May 2020: Arnold and Bradford filed their federal lawsuit against the district.
August 2020: A preliminary injunction was granted for Kaden Bradford.
November 2025: The Fifth Circuit dismissed the district's interlocutory appeal.
July 24: A federal judge dismissed Darryl George's case.
Friday, November 6, 2026: The board approved the settlement ending the Arnold and Bradford lawsuit.
The Home Front
Hair-length disputes over school dress codes have now reached a near-final resolution in Texas federal courts, with the district prevailing against George and settling with the Arnold and Bradford plaintiffs. Families weighing a school's grooming rules now have a clearer picture of how the CROWN Act has been applied to school policies in the state.
If your child attends a Texas school with a grooming or dress code, review the written policy and ask the school how it handles locs and other hairstyles. Keep a copy of the policy on file in case a question about enforcement comes up later.
The takeaway
A federal settlement and a dismissal have now resolved most of the hair-length cases against Barbers Hill ISD, leaving the district's grooming rules in place. Families should read the dress code policy at their child's school and keep it on file, since these rules can be enforced even after years of litigation.
Further reading
For more on how school policies are shaped at the state level, see Secondary Education coverage across Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BaytownSun.
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