Uniform or Discrimination

[paul_valaru]

ACLU Probes Six Flags Hairstyle Ban


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union is investigating complaints from more than a dozen black employees at a Six Flags theme park who were told their hairstyles were inappropriate.

Jonathan DeLeon, 17, was hired at Six Flags America in Largo, Md., in March to wear the costumes of Sylvester and Daffy Duck. A few weeks later, he said he was told to cut his braids, which were at least 3 feet long.

Though his mother cut more than 2 feet of his hair, park officials were dissatisfied, he said.

"They told me I had to cut them even shorter or go home," DeLeon told The Washington Post. "They said they wanted an all-American thing. That's what they said to all the black people. I had already cut it a lot, so I just left."




The 2006 Six Flags America handbook states that employees are not allowed to have "any hairstyle that detracts or takes away from Six Flags theming."

Terry Prather, the park's general manager, said that the policy is not discriminatory and that exceptions are made for employees with religious and medical reasons for not cutting their hair.

Some employees said they tried to adjust by buying wigs to cover their hair or by paying to have their hair braided into cornrows, but they too were told that the hairstyles were inappropriate.

now when hired I assume they have to sign a paper saying the understand the rules, including uniform. And what if it was a white guy with hippy hair?

Not to ACLU haters, they are looking into it, not doing anything yet, and I doubt they will, cause.....

exceptions are made for employees with religious and medical reasons for not cutting their hair.

 

[Inkara1]

Whatever happened to the mid-1990s black hairstyle, where the hair was cut down to about 1/8-inch from the skin, and in the front there was that cut intot he hair that looked like the shape of a large cat's claw?

I'm trying to find a picture.

 

[unclehobart]

I don't think I would be cutting my hair for a piece of shit minimum wage job.

 

[Gonz]

I don't think I would be cutting my hair for a piece of shit minimum wage job.

If you take a job, the choices are (and should be) do it their way ot hit the highway. Showing them alternatives is not bad. Making them abide by your choices is.

 

[highwayman]

There are a lot of employers that require a "neat and clean" appearance for the emplyee, especialy for a custermer relatiions position.

Considering this person would be wearing a costume and assumed wearing something that would cover up the hair and or his entire head and face it should not be too much of an issue. I have seen some braid jobs that were pretty good to danmed good, so that would go along with the neat part and up to him to wash the sweat off on a regular daily basis...

I would be siding with six flags if the guy had dread locks, they can be down right UGLY...