Milton Myrie is suing the City of South Fulton over hair discrimination.
Myrie moved from New York to the Atlanta area in 2021 to join the South Fulton Police Department. After passing all of the necessary tests to be hired, he was told that he would need to do one more thing to receive an offer, cut his locs.
A devout Rastafarian, Myrie was devastated but went along with the alleged demand because he moved his family to Georgia to obtain the job. In the Rastafarianism, members grow locs as a sign of strength in a connection to the story of Samson in the Bible.
But soon after starting his new role in the police department, he noticed that women were able to wear locs. He also learned that the City of South Fulton adopted the CROWN Act in Nov. 2020. The law protects Black people from facing discrimination over natural hairstyles.
After Myrie cut his locs, he was unable to grow them back because of the damage from the cutting process, according to his attorney.
Myrie, who left the police force in Feb. 2023, has filed a lawsuit against the City of South Fulton for an undisclosed amount of money.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of South Fulton said, “Please be assured that we take all allegations seriously and are committed to ensuring a fair and just workplace for all employees. It’s essential to note that our city is dedicated to upholding the principles outlined in the CROWN Act, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for all employees.”
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