Beginning November 1, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri using one’s hair, like one’s skin color, to screen an applicant or take adverse action against an employee, constitutes a form of race discrimination. Employers located in Kansas City, Missouri with 6 or more employees will be barred from having grooming or appearance policies that ban, limit, or otherwise restrict hairstyles or hair textures traditionally associated with race.
Kansas City, Missouri joins in the progress being made to ensure that traits historically associated with race are protected from discrimination. On October 2, 2020, Mayor Quinton Lucas signed into law the ordinance unanimously passed by the Kansas City, Missouri City Council known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The CROWN Act expands the definition of race discrimination in Kansas City’s anti-discrimination ordinance by expressly including “… traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles.” Protective hairstyles include, but are not limited to, braids, locks, and twists.
Several other states and municipalities have passed CROWN Acts. At the federal level, the CROWN Act of 2020 (H.R.5309) is pending in the Senate. If passed, hair discrimination of this type against those participating in federally assisted programs, housing programs, public accommodations, and employment would be illegal in all fifty states.
FineLine HR Consulting works with companies to review and update dress codes and other workplace policies to ensure compliance. We also conduct manager and employee training on a variety of employment-related topics , including recent developments such as the CROWN Act.
