A federal court has ruled that if an employer fires a worker for wearing his or her hair in dreadlocks, it's not racial discrimination. Did the court get it right?
The casecentered on Chastity Jones, a woman who was offered a job with an insurance claims processing company, but had the offer rescinded because she wore dreadlocks. Jones said it was a form of discrimination. A judge decided that while firing based on skin color is not protected, firing based on hairstyle is protected; the judge said that race can not be changed, but hairstyle can be changed.
We discuss the case with our guests:
- Stephen Jones, partner at Nixon Peabody
- Reenah Golden-Collier, co-creator of Kuumba Consultants
