Jobseeker Accuses Carowinds Of Discrimination

[The Interpreter]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An employee grooming guideline, which prohibits dreadlocks at Carowinds amusement park, does not amuse a Charlotte family.

"It wasn't until I got to the car that the tears started coming down," said 18-year-old Lashanti Penn.

Penn was looking for a summer job in Charlotte after finishing her first year at East Carolina University.

"She was like, 'Oh, they're beautiful but it's just corporate policy,'" Penn remembers being told when she went to a job interview at Carowinds. "I was quiet because I didn't know what to say. My heart kind of like sunk a little bit." ...

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/storie...s.1c08e87f.html

[WHODEY2007]

I kind of see both sides in a way. I understand that dreadlocks have become more fashionable as of late and that some people pull off the look well, but I believe employers have the right to set those grooming standards. I remember when the Cincinnati Reds weren't allowed to have facial hair or wear jewelry. Did the players like it? No. Did they conform so they could play? Yes. Eventually those standards changed with different management.

What is going to hurt this girl, if she turns this into a lawsuit, is that it isn't a deal breaker to obtain the job, as stated in the article. I am sure she could figure out a way to wear her hair that is acceptable to the company policy, just like the other thousands of employees of Cedar Fair. I just am not sure that racial discrimination is applicable in this case.

[windshawne]

I dont think this is a case of discrimination by any means. An employer has the power to dictate how their employees dress, and this is just another example. I have a tattoo that expresses my culture-Cedar Fair has a no tattoo policy. I dont flaunt it while I'm working and cover it up, same as I do at my full time job. The workplace is not somewhere to express your individuality, and this is just a fact of life.

Ever been to a Grateful Dead concert? Most of them have dreads, and a lot of those people havent showered in quite some time. Eeewww!!!

There are some folks that keep them clean, but others that don't, and in order to be fair across the board, I think they made this rule to prevent sloppiness.

[jzarley]

It's held up in case after case that employers have the right to define grooming and dress standards for their employees, as long as such standards do not discriminate against protected classes (race, nationality, religion, etc.) Carowinds is well within its rights to have a no dreadlocks policy. (Or a no beard policy, or a no earrings policy, etc.--as long as they're consistent in the application of that policy.)

[violakat03]

She's going to have a hard time finding a job at most places with dreadlocks. While I personally have no qualms against the style, a lot of people do and assume that dreadlocks are a hotbed of lice and disease (though in most cases this is far from true), so the park doesn't want to spread the impression that they have unkempt employees.

Many, many jobs have grooming standards that include length or style of hair, including facial hair, tattoos, and piercings. Cedar Fair's are stricter than most, pretty much on par with a police department (the men's grooming standards are pretty much the same except CF does allow longer hair - my husband must keep his cropped to no longer than an inch and a half), but they are well within their rights to have them. When I worked there in the early 2000's, Paramount had the same rules. I had to remove a lot of my jewelry when I got there because I habitually wore more than one bracelet and more than one necklace. Now, to conform to standards I'd have to remove one ring from my left hand (I wear a thumb ring in addition to my wedding set, you are only allowed one per hand), and remove my cartilage earring, which is not allowed at all. If I do get a job there, I will do both because that is their rules. It's that simple. Grooming standards are no different than being required to wear certain clothing or dress in a certain way, it is all about the company's image.