By Patrice Peck
Posted: 06/19/2014 on http://www.bet.com
Filed Under Natural Hair, Discrimination, National News, Lawsuit
"Bone-marrow cancer survivor Tiffany Bryan decided to go natural in 2008 following successful chemotherapy.
“I just didn’t want to put any chemicals in it after that,” she told The New York Post. “After you lose it, you don’t want to do anything that might cause a problem again.”
The 27-year-old's chemical-free hairstyle did not cause her any problems until last March, when her supervisor, Denise Brown of AEG Worldwide, a leading sports and entertainment events production company, allegedly said Bryan’s Afro “looked like she stuck her finger in a socket and was electrocuted.”
Bryan claims that the ridiculing of her hair continued, with orders to “do something with her hair” and “tame it,” until she was ultimately fired from her security job at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center for not controlling it.
Now she has launched a federal court lawsuit for $900,000 against her bosses at AEG Worldwide, alleging that they ridiculed, discriminated against and effectively terminated Bryan for the way she wears her hair.
“It was ridiculous,” said Bryan, adding that she would even receive compliments from people at events at Barclay. “I couldn’t understand what they had a problem with."
This is a very unfortunate....The workforce dictating how natural women should wear their hair. Our kinks and coils are inherited at birth, we have no control on how our hair grows from the scalp. So telling me to "tame" my hair and not wear it in an afro, is like telling me not to wear my skin.... It doesn't work that way. I was born with this hair and I have the right to refuse harsh chemicals or straightening. Even though, the acceptance of women wearing natural hair is increasing, its sad we still have to fight these battles, especially for Tiffany who already fought a battle with cancer..... I hope she wins this battle too.....Good Luck Tiffany Bryan!!!!