Cultural Identity and Workplace Fairness: Legal Challenges in Hair Discrimination Cases

Fangyu Liu

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.HT29216

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

Cultural Identity and Workplace Fairness: Legal Challenges in Hair Discrimination Cases

Research Article

Open Access

Cultural Identity and Workplace Fairness: Legal Challenges in Hair Discrimination Cases

Fangyu Liu ^1*

¹ Suzhou Singapore International School

^*Corresponding author: 77593@mail.ssis-suzhou.net

Published on 5 November 2025

CHR Vol.95

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-509-7

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-510-3

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Abstract

This paper primarily addresses the courts' and society's prejudice against discrimination on race, with a particular focus on hair. Dreadlocks, a hairstyle deeply embedded in African tradition and representing their identity, have been met with pressure to be cut from society or specifically in workplace or schools. Despite their cultural significance and the fact that it shows their sense of belonging. While courts have sometimes affirmed such prejudices, the feelings of those discriminated against are rarely acknowledged and easy to identify. This paper will explore the details of two cases and the final court decisions, alongside personal insights, in order to raise greater awareness of this issue. This article will especially focus on the CROWN Act and Title VII being used for the final court decisions by exploring and analyzing two related cases. The gap between the inflexible final law decision and the reality of people facing discrimination against them.

Keywords:

Crown Act, Disparate Impact, Implicit Bias

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References

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[2]. de la Torre-Pérez, L., et al. (2022) How do we measure gender discrimination? Proposing a construct of gender discrimination through a systematic scoping review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 21, 1.

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[4]. Schlick, C.J.R., et al. (2021) Experiences of gender discrimination and sexual harassment among residents in general surgery programs across the US. JAMA Surgery, 156, 942-952.

[5]. Gauci, P., et al. (2022) The experience of workplace gender discrimination for women registered nurses: A qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78, 1743-1754.

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[8]. Garikipati, S., et al. (2017) Microfinance and gender: Issues, challenges and the road ahead. The Journal of Development Studies, 53, 641-648.

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References

[1]. Oswald, K. (2023) Gender discrimination: An overview of historical and contemporary issues. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 29, 1-2.

[4]. Schlick, C.J.R., et al. (2021) Experiences of gender discrimination and sexual harassment among residents in general surgery programs across the US. JAMA Surgery, 156, 942-952.

[5]. Gauci, P., et al. (2022) The experience of workplace gender discrimination for women registered nurses: A qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78, 1743-1754.

[6]. Coffman, K.B., Exley, C.L. and Niederle, M. (2021) The role of beliefs in driving gender discrimination. Management Science, 67, 3551-3569.

[7]. Nyarko, S.A. (2022) Gender discrimination and lending to women: The moderating effect of an international founder. International Business Review, 31, 101973.

[8]. Garikipati, S., et al. (2017) Microfinance and gender: Issues, challenges and the road ahead. The Journal of Development Studies, 53, 641-648.

Cite this article

Liu,F. (2025). Cultural Identity and Workplace Fairness: Legal Challenges in Hair Discrimination Cases. Communications in Humanities Research,95,14-19.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceeding of ICIHCS 2025 Symposium: The Dialogue Between Tradition and Innovation in Language Learning

ISBN: 978-1-80590-509-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-510-3(Online)

Editor: Enrique Mallen, Heidi Gregory-Mina

Conference website: https://2025.icihcs.org/

Conference date: 17 November 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.95

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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