Man Sues Company For Denying Him Job Over His Dreadlocks

A California man is accusing his former employer of denying him a job because he refused to cut his dreadlocks. Jeffrey Thornton of San Diego is suing Encore Global and accusing them of having a personal appearance policy that discriminates against Black people. The company released a statement in response and said it was all a misunderstanding.

Thornton used to work for Encore, which is an event planning company based in Illinois. After working for the company for four years in Florida, Thornton was let go in March 2020 after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Thornton sent in a job application to work as a technical supervisor at the company’s San Diego office, according to CBS News.

Adam Kent, Thornton‘s lawyer, said an unnamed hiring manager told his client to trim his locks off his ears, eyes and shoulders if he wanted the job, according to the lawsuit.

"In order to take the job, Mr. Thornton would have to materially alter his hairstyle, and thus his appearance, cultural identity and racial heritage," the lawsuit said.

Thornton filed the discrimination lawsuit last week in a state court and is suing the company for an undetermined amount as compensation.

A statement released by Encore blamed the incident on “miscommunication” and said they have made “an offer of employment” to Thornton.

"We regret any miscommunication with Mr. Thornton regarding our standard grooming policies — which he appears to fully meet and we have made him an offer of employment," the company said in their statement.

Thornton’s lawsuit is the first of its kind where an individual is accusing an employer of violating California's CROWN Act. The Act prohibits companies from discriminating against employees or job applicants based on natural hairstyles, which include afros, Bantu knots, braids and cornrows.

Hair discrimination has been the subject of other lawsuits in the past, but Thornton’s case specifically invokes the CROWN Act since the legislation was put in place in January 2020.

Drexel University law professor Wendy Greene said that if Thornton’s allegations are true, Encore made “a clear violation” of the CROWN Act.

"The goal of the CROWN Act is not to compel someone to cut off their hair," said Greene, who helped craft California's CROWN Act. "We're trying to get [employers] not to worry about what's on top of the head and focus on what's inside the head and all the gifts and talents that flow from that."

At a press conference that took place last week, Thornton spoke about how he’s been wearing his hair in locks since 2019 and being forced to cut them for a job was a “deal-breaker.”

“I wouldn't be able to come to terms with sacrificing my disciplinary journey and what it symbolizes,” Thornton said.

Kent spoke to CNN and mentioned how the company’s response was not enough. “While we are glad that Encore Global has acknowledged its error in denying my client's employment due to his hairstyle, we have yet to receive a formal apology or a commitment to changing the grooming policy that has had a disparate impact on African-Americans,” the lawyer said. “I intend to engage with Encore further to determine if they will fulfill all the requests we have made in our lawsuit."