Jeffrey Thornton, a Black audio and visual expert who applied for a position as a technical supervisor in San Diego, has sued Encore Group, LLC, for allegedly denying him an opportunity because of his hair. According to CNN, Thornton said the company expected him to cut his locs.

The California job applicant said he went to the interview on Nov.1 and learned about the dress code policy from a hiring manager, who informed him that he would have to conform to appearance policies to get the job. According to Thornton's complaint filed this week, this means the employers were requiring him to cut his hair.

"In order to take the job, Mr. Thornton would have to materially alter his hairstyle, and thus his appearance, cultural identity and racial heritage," the complaint stated.

(1/3) This week my office @pajmovement officially announced a legal claim against Encore Global. Encore is an international audio visual company based in Illinois. The legal claim supports Jeffrey Thornton who was discriminated against because of his dreads. pic.twitter.com/de9e8XCEj2

— Shane Harris (@shaneharrisnow) December 2, 2021

Encore Global responded in a statement, saying it was all a misunderstanding and the job offer is still on the table.

"We regret any miscommunication with Mr. Thornton regarding our standard 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," the company stated.

Thornton's lawyer, Adam Kent, said the company still hasn't offered an apology despite the public statement.

"While we are glad that Encore Global has acknowledged its error in denying my client's employment due to his hairstyle, we have yet to receive a formal apology, or a commitment to changing the grooming policy that has had a disparate impact on African-Americans," Kent told CNN. "I intend to engage with Encore further to determine if they will fulfill all the requests we have made in our lawsuit."

Thornton said the company violated the state's CROWN Act, which prohibits companies from discriminating based on hair. As Blavity previously reported, Senator Cory Booker introduced the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) in California in 2019. Since the passing of the bill in California, many other states have passed similar laws.

According to Fox 5, Thornton said he previously worked for Encore Global in Florida. But he was forced to leave the company after being furloughed along with several other employees due to the pandemic. In October, Thornton and other furloughed employees were informed about other opportunities available in different parts of the country.

Kent said his client is now asking “to be made whole for the damages he has suffered” after being denied from the position in San Diego.

“Professionalism isn’t about fitting into Eurocentric norms. Professionalism is about competency,” Kent said at a news conference. “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.”

Jeffrey-Thornton

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