A former Baltimore Inner Harbor Hooters waitress is filing a racial discrimination complaint against the restaurant chain after she was allegedly fired for highlighting her hair with an "unnatural" blonde color. Twenty five-year-old Farryn Johnson claims that upon her termination in August, her manager told her, "Black women don't have blonde in their hair, so you need to take it out," WJZ-TV reports.
Johnson pointed out that many of her co-workers of other races had red and blonde highlights and were never asked to change their hair colors. Her formal complaint was posted to the Baltimore Sun, in which she detailed how on Aug. 12, she had been sent home early from her shift for her "improper image," and was fired the next day for the same reason.
"The problem here is that federal and state law clearly states that you can't have two separate and distinct rules for employees - one for African-Americans and one for everyone else and that's exactly what Hooters did here," Johnson's attorney, Jessica Weber, told WJZ-TV.
Spokesperson for Hooters of America, Rebecca Sinclair, denied any racial discrimination of behalf of the restaurant chain.
"When you're representing an iconic brand there are standards to follow," Sinclair said to the Baltimore Sun. "Hooters Girls are required to be camera-ready at all times to promote the glamorous, wholesome look for which Hooters is known. Hooters adamantly denies that it has different policies and standards for hair based on race. As a global brand, Hooters embraces our culturally diverse employee base and our standards are applied impartially."
Maryland State Delegate Mary Washington told WJZ-TV that she believes black women are held to a different standard when it comes to their hairstyles, and although companies have the right to set their own image and grooming standards, such standards should not discriminate against any races.
According to Washington, Johnson is just one of many examples of people that have been singled out based on their hair color and style.
"There are some women who are told to dye their hair, that if they are gray somehow they are not projecting a youthful image," she said. "So I think further clarifying hair and restricting employers from doing that will help all kinds of people."
Johnson's case is now in the hands of the Maryland Commission for a civil rights investigation.
Click here to read Farryn Johnson's formal complaint against Hooters.
