Black woman fired for wearing natural hair instead of a wig, Louisiana lawsuit says
Imani Jackson spent 45 minutes every day putting a cap over her naturally curly hair and gluing a wig with straight hair in its place, according to federal court documents.
One day, she stopped.
Instead of the wig, Jackson — who is Black — began wearing her natural hair in a “neat bun,” attorneys said. Within a month, she was fired. Now the federal agency tasked with safeguarding and enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the workplace is suing the company accused of terminating her, saying the action was racially motivated.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, filed a complaint in federal court on Wednesday against Louisiana-based American Screening LLC, a drug and medical testing supply company headquartered in Shreveport.
A representative from the company did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Thursday.
In a news release announcing the lawsuit, attorneys for the EEOC said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars employers from treating workers differently based on their race, which includes personal characteristics such as hair.
“An employer may no more ask an employee to change or conceal their hair texture than it may ask them to change or conceal their skin color,” Andrew Kingsley, a senior trial attorney in the EEOC’s New Orleans Field Office, said in the release.
According to the complaint, Jackson was referred to American Screening for a sales position by a staffing company. She interviewed with the owner and the human resources manager on Aug. 2, 2018 and started working there 11 days later.
Jackson wore the wig during her interview and for the first month or so that she worked for American Screening. Attorneys for the EEOC said the wig “likely came from a person or persons who were European or Native American” and that it was “uncomfortable, especially in the heat and humidity, and time-consuming to maintain.”
Some time in mid-to-late September, Jackson reportedly stopped wearing the wig.
Instead, Jackson began wearing her tight, curly hair naturally — often pulling it back into a bun. Other employees at American Screening who did not have similarly-textured hair also wore buns or ponytails, attorneys for the EEOC said.
On Oct. 8, 2018, the owner took notice of Jackson’s change of hairstyle and told someone in human resources to talk to her about “looking more professional,” the complaint states. The owner reportedly said she “came in with beautiful hair” but now “looks like she rolls out of bed.”
The following day, the HR manager talked to the staffing company that referred Jackson about the owner’s complaints. In response, attorneys said, a senior recruiter said employers can require their workers to have “neatly groomed hair” but have to “respect racial differences in hair.”
“Employers should make sure grooming standards are race-neutral, adopted for nondiscriminatory reasons and consistently applied,” the recruiter said, according to the complaint.
HR relayed the message to the owner, who reportedly replied: “Is (Ms. Jackson) going to fix her hair?”
Two days later, attorneys for the EEOC said the company owner told Jackson her hair was “unacceptable” and that she needed to wear the wig instead. The owner also reportedly reiterated concerns about her hair “sticking every which way” and “looking like she just rolls out of bed.”
But Jackson did not resume wearing the wig, and she was fired on Oct. 18, 2018.
The owner of American Screening later told the staffing company it was because they “no longer needed her services,” attorneys said.
Jackson filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC shortly after she was fired. On Sept. 1, 2020, the agency determined there was reasonable cause to believe American Screening discriminated against her and reached out in an attempt to reconcile with the company. But those efforts fell short, prompting the EEOC to sue.
Wednesday’s lawsuit requests a judge issue an order barring American Screening from discriminating against its workers and requiring it institute policies that ensure equal employment opportunities regardless of race. The complaint also seeks back pay and damages for Jackson.
American Screening has not responded to the allegations, court filings show.
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Black woman fired for wearing natural hair instead of a wig, Louisiana lawsuit says."
