AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas has recently dispatched letters to 51 school districts across the state, alleging that their 2023-2024 dress and grooming codes contravene the Texas CROWN Act. Among those addressed are six local districts:
- Bovina ISD
- Farwell ISD
- Nazareth ISD
- Walcott ISD
- Wheeler ISD
- White Deer ISD
The ACLU’s action aims to alert these districts to potential non-compliance with the law and provide an opportunity to amend their policies prior to the start of the new school year.
ACLU attorney Chloe Kemp stated, “We sent these notices to over 50 Texas school districts because their dress codes seemed to conflict with the CROWN Act. Our goal was to inform them of these issues and give them a chance to correct their policies before the students return to school.”
The Texas CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, was enacted last year. It prohibits discrimination based on hair textures or protective hairstyles traditionally associated with race, including afros, cornrows, braids, and locs.
Kemp emphasized the significance of the law: “The CROWN Act is crucial because it allows students to express their authentic selves without facing discrimination. Restrictions on hairstyles associated with race send a negative message about students’ identities, implying that they are unacceptable.”
Kemp elaborated on the potential consequences for districts failing to adjust their dress codes. “Affected parents and students might file complaints with their school districts or even with the Texas Education Agency. However, we hope that through this initiative, all of Texas’s more than 1,200 school districts will comply with the law.”
In response to the ACLU’s notice, Bovina ISD Superintendent Sergio Menchaca reported that the district has scheduled a broad meeting to revise its handbook. Menchaca acknowledged that although the district had previously engaged students in creating a more inclusive dress code, outdated language related to terms like “distracting” and “well-groomed” was inadvertently retained, necessitating revisions to align with the CROWN Act.
“We involved students in developing the dress code to enhance their sense of ownership and reduce restrictions on their individuality,” Menchaca explained. “However, some language, like ‘distracting’ and ‘neat,’ which the students had used in different contexts, was misapplied and needed to be removed to ensure compliance.”
Wheeler ISD Superintendent Bryan Markham confirmed that his district has updated its handbook to align with the CROWN Act’s requirements.
Walcott ISD Superintendent Darla Bryant also responded, stating, “The mention of ‘boys with braids’ was an oversight. We believed we had removed such language but have since corrected it. Walcott ISD does not discriminate based on hairstyles and encourages students to maintain neat hairstyles that do not disrupt their learning.”