# EEOC V. Catastrophe Management Solutions **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 29, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199 "2016-09-29T13:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/21 "2016-09-29T16:37:16Z")
[Here’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_based_on_hair_texture#Hair_in_the_workplace) Wikipedia on the subject of discrimination in the workplace against those with natural black hair. [Here’s](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/opinion/when-black-hair-is-against-the-rules.html) an NYT article with the military as an example (along with a few others). ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/22 "2016-09-29T16:39:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > IIRC Perot’s companies used to not hire people with beards. My wife worked for a company like that and a black worker filed a complaint saying the policy was racist because as he claimed clean-shaven blacks tend to get more razor bumps. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/23 "2016-09-29T16:51:04Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > [Here’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_based_on_hair_texture#Hair_in_the_workplace) Wikipedia on the subject of discrimination in the workplace against those with natural black hair. [Here’s](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/opinion/when-black-hair-is-against-the-rules.html) an NYT article with the military as an example (along with a few others). Thanks, but what I’m looking for is a source that natural black hair is banned anywhere. The NYT doesn’t mention that (other than one schoolkid in FL), and Wiki’s statements on that subject are unsourced. Perhaps a lawyer can weigh in on this, but I can’t imagine that it’s legal to ban natural African-American hair. Specific hairstyles associated with African-Americans are another story - they are the subject of the court case referenced in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/24 "2016-09-29T17:13:06Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Not so. If they hired the person after the cut their dreads, then it’s pretty obvious that it was just the dreads. Hairstyles can be changed. If the person didn’t cut their dreads, it’s still not evidence of racism, just evidence of a stupid company policy. If the person cut their dreads and still didn’t get hired then you might have something. You can have a policy designed to discriminate against black people that isn’t 100% effective. It doesn’t have to keep out each and every black person, just some of them. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/25 "2016-09-29T17:18:17Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Thanks, but what I’m looking for is a source that natural black hair is banned anywhere. The NYT doesn’t mention that (other than one schoolkid in FL), and Wiki’s statements on that subject are unsourced. > > Perhaps a lawyer can weigh in on this, but I can’t imagine that it’s legal to ban natural African-American hair. Specific hairstyles associated with African-Americans are another story - they are the subject of the court case referenced in the OP. [Here’s an article](http://www.ebony.com/style/fighting-for-our-hair-in-corporate-america-032#axzz4LfMgIyMh) with some more examples, but they might not be sourced in enough detail. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/26 "2016-09-29T17:56:03Z")
That article seems to be conflating “natural” and cornrows/dreadlocks, so it’s hard to tell what they mean in a given instance. FTR, I’m a bit surprised if it’s common for companies to have policies against either of these too. I’m seen professional African-American women with every type of hairstyle, including these and others, e.g. the crewcut look. But that an occasional employer bans these doesn’t surprise me. What would surprise me is if a company could/would ban natural afro-type hair. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/27 "2016-09-29T18:04:13Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > You can have a policy designed to discriminate against black people that isn’t 100% effective. It doesn’t have to keep out each and every black person, just some of them. Also note that a subtle “we only grudgingly accept your kind around here” can also be very effective at keeping the wrong sort of people away. A “no dreads” policy sends a message to all black people, not just those with dreads. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199/28 "2016-09-29T18:05:44Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > That article seems to be conflating “natural” and cornrows/dreadlocks, so it’s hard to tell what they mean in a given instance. > > FTR, I’m a bit surprised if it’s common for companies to have policies against either of these too. I’m seen professional African-American women with every type of hairstyle, including these and others, e.g. the crewcut look. But that an occasional employer bans these doesn’t surprise me. What would surprise me is if a company could/would ban natural afro-type hair. I’ll continue to look for articles, but my friends/family have told me that some offices effectively (if not explicitly) ban natural hair by only allowing straight hair styles or very, very short styles (what I think you’re calling the “crewcut look” – like a very close cut afro), since most women want to wear their hair at least somewhat long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeoc-v-catastrophe-management-solutions/767199.md?page=1)