A 16-year-old girl from North Carolina says she was humiliated and discriminated by her employer, Chick-fil-A, for having blond braids in her hair. Autumn Williams, who is Black, claims she was told to leave her job and not come back until she removed the “unnatural” color from her hair.
Williams, who lives in Concord, North Carolina, started working at Chick-fil-A about two months ago. She says she attended the orientation session with her hair in box braids, which matched her natural hair color of “brownish-blond” or “dark blond”. She says she did not hear any specific rules about hair color during the session, only that it had to be pulled back from the face.
On July 13, Williams says she was working at the front counter when a manager asked to speak with her in private. She says the manager told her that a supervisor had driven by the previous day and noticed blond in her hair. The manager then said that blond was an unnatural color for Williams and that she had to take it out before returning to work.
Williams says she was shocked and embarrassed by the manager’s words. She says she felt like there was something wrong with her appearance and that she was being singled out for being Black. She called her mother, Nina Burch, to pick her up and explain the situation.
Mother confronts the supervisor
Burch says she was outraged by what happened to her daughter. She says she asked for the supervisor’s phone number and called him to demand an explanation. She says the supervisor refused to give any details and told her to refer to the handbook.
Burch sent a screenshot of the handbook to TODAY.com, which states that “hairstyles must be neat and professional in appearance. Unnatural hair colors or eccentric styles (e.g., Mohawks, shaven designs, etc.) are not permitted.” Burch says she interpreted “unnatural” as a color that does not grow naturally, such as pink or blue. She says her daughter has never dyed her hair and that the color of her braids matches her natural color.
Burch also says that she noticed other employees at Chick-fil-A with different hair colors, such as red or purple, but they were not sent home. She says she believes her daughter was discriminated against because of her race and hairstyle.
Store owner apologizes and invites teen back
Williams says she quit her job after the incident. She says she felt hurt and disrespected by Chick-fil-A and did not want to work there anymore. She says she has received support from her friends and family, who have encouraged her to stand up for herself.
On August 1, Williams says the store owner called her and apologized for what happened. He said that the policy was misinterpreted by the manager and the supervisor and that he would welcome her back to work if she wanted to. He also said he would provide diversity training for his staff.
Williams says she appreciated the apology but declined the offer to return. She says she is looking for another job where she can be herself and express her personality.
Chick-fil-A did not comment on the accuracy of the handbook screenshot or the specifics of the case. The company said in a statement that Williams was not terminated from her job and that the store owner resolved the issue with her.
