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SAN DIEGO – A lawsuit was announced Tuesday alleging that a black national audiovisual company job seeker seeking to fill positions in San Diego has been racially discriminated against by the employer because of his hairstyle, believed to be the first case in the a. it cites a new state law that prohibits such discrimination.
Jeffrey Thornton says that when he applied for a position as a technical supervisor for one of Encore Global’s San Diego locations, he was told by a hiring manager that while he was fully qualified for the position, he would have to cut his dreadlocks to get the position to get .
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Thornton claims this is in violation of Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, a state law that prohibits employers from refusing employment based on discrimination against the applicant’s hairstyle.
The CROWN Act, which came into force in 2019, defines racial discrimination as discrimination based on “traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair structure and protective hairstyles”.
An Encore Global spokesperson sent FOX 5 a statement Wednesday saying the company regretted “any miscommunication with Mr. Thornton regarding our standard care guidelines,” which he “appears to be fully compliant” with. The spokesman said the company offered Thornton a job, although it was unclear when.
Thornton says he previously worked for Encore Global in Florida but was on leave with several other employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October of that year, he received an email asking him and other employees on leave to contact the company to find new jobs, which led Thornton to be interviewed for a position in San Diego.
He claims he was told by a hiring manager that his dreadlocks, despite his qualifications, excluded him from consideration. Thornton says that while he was working for the Florida company, dreadlocks were not an issue for him or any other employee.
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“Professionalism does not mean conforming to Eurocentric norms. Professionalism is about competence, ”Thornton’s attorney Adam Kent said at a press conference Tuesday when he announced the claim. “We all expect to be judged on our ability and character, but Mr. Thornton is told on this one that it is different for him.”
Kent said his client is demanding “be restored for the damage he has sustained,” while demanding that Encore Global “never again be able to enforce care policies that affect black Americans differently.”
Full statement from Encore Global:
“Maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace in which each individual has a full sense of belonging and feels empowered to realize their potential are core values of our business. These values are key to driving innovation, collaboration, and achieving better results for our team members, customers, and the communities we serve.
We regret any misunderstandings with Mr. Thornton regarding our Standard Care Policy – which he appears to be in full compliance with, and we have made him a job offer. We want to constantly learn and improve and are reviewing our care guidelines in order to avoid potential misunderstandings in the future. “
Encore Global spokesperson
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