When you think of the restaurant chain Hooters, you immediately think about how good their wings are, right? In case you didn’t know, the chain is also very popular for their waitstaff. In fact, the dress code has been known to turn heads! In one waitress’s case, though, heads were turned for a different reason!
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According to NBC News, an African-American waitress was fired from Hooters for having blonde hair. This does not sound strange, by any means, but when you hear the restaurant’s logic, you’ll be left scratching your head!
The woman decided to highlight her hair blonde, but the restaurant said this did not conform to their policy. The manager told her, “You can’t have blond (hair) because black people don’t have blond hair.” She was issued many written warnings, as well as a reduced work schedule, and was eventually fired.
The waitress claimed the manager told her that Hooters’ policy prohibits African-American Hooters Girls from wearing blonde highlights in their hair. The waitress sued Hooters for racial discrimination and ultimately received an award of $250,000 for lost wages and legal fees.
Coming from a place that prides themselves on being “delightfully tacky, yet unrefined,” maybe Hooters should refine their dress code policies!
Amazing that such a large corporation, one that has surely had its share of discrimination claims, can still fall prey to such obvious missteps.