ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shan'Terrius Sly-Brown, 16, left, and Shaniya Wade-Red, 15, hold signs during a protest outside of the home of Barbers Hill Independent School District superintendent Greg Poole, Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Baytown, Texas. The teenagers traveled from Holmes County in Mississippi to participate in the protest and attend a Thursday bench trial for Darryl George, a student who was punished over his hairstyle. George, who is Black and has been kept out of his regular classes since Aug. 31, 2023, says his hairstyle is protected by a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination.