Appeals court rules employers can ban dreadlocks at work

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court ruled that banning employees from wearing dreadlocks is not racial discrimination.

The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Chastity Jones against Catastrophe Management Solutions (CMS) in Mobile, Alabama, which rescinded her job offer because of her dreadlocks.

Both the Alabama federal court and the federal appeals court dismissed this suit, ruling that it was not discrimination to ask her to cut off her locks.

D.C. based attorney Bernard Grimm disagrees with the ruling which also says, the "race neutral grooming policy" does not violate title vii of the civil rights act because it's not immutable - meaning it's a choice and you can change it.

This decision means that not only can companies refuse to hire someone because they have dreadlocks, but it even opens the door for people to potentially be fired.