A man in California filed a legal claim against his former employer after allegedly being told during a job interview that he needed to cut his dreadlocks, according to ABC7s San Diego affiliate.  

Jeffrey Thornton was applying to a new position at a new location of his employer, Encore Global, after hearing that it would hire more people at its West Coast location in San Diego. He was furloughed at the company’s East Coast location in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Following his move to San Diego, he secured an interview and was allegedly told during an interview that while he was qualified for the job, he would have to cut his deadlocks to secure the position.  

“I was told that I was recommended by my East Coast references and that I should find the transition to be no problem. All that was left was to discuss the dress code,” Thornton said. “I expected that I was to remove my ear gauges. It’s not a problem. I’d be willing to trim my facial hair, but I wasn’t prepared to be told that I would need to cut my hair in order to comply with Encore’s standards.” 

RELATED: Illinois Law Bans Hair-Based Discrimination in Schools   

Thornton says that Encore Global violated the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act, a California law that bans employers from withholding jobs based on an applicant’s hair, according to FOX 5 San Diego.  

“Workplace dress codes and grooming policies that prohibit natural hair, including afros, braids, twists and locks, have a disparate impact on Black individuals,” part of the law reads.  

Thornton said having dreadlocks at Encore’s Florida location did not prevent him from getting a job and wasn’t an issue.  

His attorney, Adam Kent, said at a news conference on Nov. 30, “Professionalism isn’t about fitting into Eurocentric norms. Professionalism is about competency. We all expect to be judged based on our abilities and on our character, but Mr. Thornton is being told in this case that it’s different for him.” 

Encore Global claimed it regretted any “miscommunication” with Thornton regarding its “grooming policies – which he appears to fully meet and we have made him an offer of employment. We are continuously looking to learn and improve, and we are reviewing our grooming policies to avoid potential miscommunications in the future.”