A judge has ruled that a Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law prohibiting race-based hair discrimination.

Community leaders and civil rights activists are holding a protest this Wednesday ahead of the trial for a Barbers Hill student who has repeatedly been disciplined for his hairstyle choice.

The family of a Barbers Hill High School student is speaking out just days after the district’s superintendent announced that the teen will continue facing disciplinary measures over his hairstyle.

Disappointment, frustration, and desperation are all emotions some parents who attended a Barbers Hill ISD school board meeting expressed Monday night after being told they couldn’t speak about bullying.

Leaders of Barbers Hill ISD and Lee College are taking steps that could lead to the creation of a college campus in the Mont Belvieu community.

MONT BELVIEU, Texas – Barbers Hill High School students and parents are raising concern on both sides of a situation regarding posters taken down by Barbers Hill ISD. Students and parents raised concern over Barbers Hill ISD’s decision to remove posters of Vice President Kamala Harris and Former First Lady Michelle Obama, which were originally put up by the Barbers Hill High School student council for Black History Month. It’s Black History Month. Barber Hill ISD shows posters in high school during Black History Month. AdBarbers Hill ISD released this statement to the media:A disagreement arose amongst Barbers Hill High School Students Friday morningwhen newly displayed posters were viewed as combative and divisive.

Poole wrote that the study showed “statistically significant correlations” between higher academic success and safer schools, which had more stringent dress codes. “(Barbers Hill) Board asked for a study of all (Texas) HS’s & HS’s with a hair code like ours are safer & stronger academically. BH is the fastest growing in Houston & high standards in ALL areas are the reason,” Poole wrote. He continued: “The BH Board sanctioned study showed statistically significant correlations of higher academic success & safer schools of HS’s which had more stringent dress codes. BH is the fastest growing in Houston & high standards in ALL areas are the reason.

MONT BELVIEU David Lothridge of Mont Belvieu represents many if not the majority of the parents in Barbers Hill Independent School District. Nearly every parent with children in the district that KPRC 2 came across Thursday was in favor of sending kids back to school for in-person instruction with no delays. Many parents are comfortable with the in-person option but the issue is causing tension between the superintendent and the Chambers County Public Health Department. Classes are scheduled to begin August 19 with parents having the option of starting kids online or at home, per TEA guidelines. The health departments request for an in-person delay drew a fiery response in this letter from Barbers Hill Superintendent Dr. Greg Poole.

HOUSTON – Many school districts were discussing Wednesday how to move forward with the start of school under the new state guidelines. “The best learning is still going to take place in the traditional classroom,” said Superintendent Dr. Greg Poole of Barbers Hill ISD. Dr. Poole is the superintendent of the Barbers Hill Independent School District. Districts are required to follow the state mask order, which applies to students ages 10 and up. Dr. Poole said children will unavoidably be next to each other, but complete online learning could be detrimental to a student’s development.