The Case Of The Disqualifying Dreads

Can an African-American woman lose a job offer because of the way she chooses to wear her hair?

- Vicki Glembocki

IN MAY 2010, Chastity Jones saw an ad for a customer service job at a call centre in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Catastrophe Management Solutions (CMS), which handles customer calls for insurance companies, needed people with professional phone skills. Jones filled out an online application and was asked to come to the office for an in-person interview.