[Mont Belvieu, TX] — Barbers Hill Independent School District has agreed to a six-figure settlement resolving Arnold v. Barbers Hill Independent School District, compensating former students De’Andre Arnold and Kaden Bradford, who were represented by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger (NSBHF), Akin, and Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing (AZA). The families sued in May 2020 after the district barred De’Andre and Kaden from regular classes, extracurricular activities, and graduation ceremonies unless they cut their locs, which reflect their Black and Trinidadian heritage. Last month, the court ruled that the race and sex discrimination and First Amendment claims were viable and should proceed to trial. “A student’s constitutional rights to express themselves and to be free from discrimination don’t end the moment they walk into a school building,” said Alaizah Koorji, Senior Associate at NSBHF. “This case marks a significant achievement for De’Andre and Kaden, and for every student who has been told their natural hair doesn’t belong in the classroom.”

Read LDF’s press release on the settlement here.