A Black man alleges in a lawsuit that an Iowa trucking company fired him as a driver because he wouldn't cut off his dreadlocks, the latest in a series of incidents across the country over an issue activists have dubbed hair discrimination.Drew Harvey, 26, of Crete, Illinois, accused Des Moines-based TMC Transportation of racism in the lawsuit filed last week in state court against the company and two of its employees.
But one day after beginning orientation, his instructor told him to report to human resources, where he was told his hair was creating a 'safety issue' and that he needed to cut his deadlocks or be fired, the lawsuit said.According to the lawsuit, Harvey said his hair was 'important to his culture and spirituality' and he offered to address the concerns by trimming his hair, styling it differently, wearing it in a hair wrap or purchasing a different hard hat.