No. SB 252
Filed under Education.
Prohibited Discrimination Based on Hairstyle; Citing this act as the "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act” or “CROWN Act"; prohibiting discrimination based on protected hairstyle against a student in the K-20 public education system; defining the terms “race” and “protected hairstyle” for purposes of public K-12 nondiscrimination requirements; defining the terms “race” and “protected hairstyle” for purposes of antidiscrimination requirements for private schools participating in the state school choice scholarship program, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDPublic K-20 schools may not exclude or discriminate against students based on protected hairstyles like afros or braids.
Private schools receiving state scholarship funds must treat race as including hair texture and protected hairstyles.
Schools that knowingly fail to comply with these new antidiscrimination rules face a one-year funding suspension.
The bill defines protected hairstyles as hair characteristics historically associated with race, including locks and twists.
AICreates a new, explicit prohibition against discriminating against students based on their hairstyle if that hairstyle is historically associated with race.
AIDefines "protected hairstyle" to include specific styles like afros, braids, locks, and twists, clarifying the scope of the new protection.
AIRedefines "race" in the student rights statute to explicitly include hair texture and type, ensuring hairstyle discrimination is treated as racial discrimination.
AIRequires private schools participating in state scholarship programs to comply with federal civil rights laws, with "race" defined to include protected hairstyles.