A black man is suing an Iowa-based transportation company, claiming he was fired as a driver because he refused to cut his dreadlocks.
Drew Harvey, 26, accused TMC Transportation and two of its employees of racism in a lawsuit he filed on September 26.
Harvey applied to be a flatbed truck driver with the company on June 4 and was scheduled to begin his orientation on June 24, according to court documents obtained by People.
The day after the orientation, Harvey was called into a meeting with a Human Resources representative, according to the complaint.
Harvey was allegedly told “he had to cut his hair” “or he would be fired.” The reason given, according to the lawsuit, was that her hair was a “safety issue.”
Drew Harvey, 26, filed a lawsuit against TMC Transportation alleging that he was racially discriminated against and unfairly fired because of his hairstyle.
In an interview with We are IowaHarvey gave an inside look at what this meeting with HR went like.
“You’ve been doing a splendid job,” he recalled being told. “But you’ll have to get a haircut on Friday or you won’t be able to continue with the company.”
Harvey said his supervisor told him it was company policy that employees had to have short hair so the helmets would fit properly.
Harvey stated that this was the first time he had heard that the company had a specific policy regulating the hairstyle of its employees.
To remedy the problem, Harvey said in the lawsuit that he offered to trim or style her hair differently.
The lawsuit also says she offered to wear her hair up or buy a different helmet so safety wouldn’t be an issue.
The company allegedly rejected these proposals, which is when his employment was terminated, according to the lawsuit.
Harvey, who traveled approximately six hours to work from his home in Crete, Illinois, was “sent home on a bus crying.”
Harvey’s attorney, Benjamin Lynch, says TMC has not contacted them regarding the active litigation.
“TMC’s policy is racist and inconsistently enforced,” Harvey’s complaint states.
Harvey believes this because he alleges that he saw several other non-black employees, men and women, who had long hair and did not suffer any form of retaliation from the company.
As such, the lawsuit said this long hair policy was applied unfairly, violating the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
The lawsuit claims that Harvey “will suffer injuries and damages, including, but not limited to, emotional distress, loss of wages, loss of benefits, loss of future income and other employment emoluments.”
Harvey is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Benjamin Lynch, Harvey’s attorney, said his client is currently looking for work.
“That petition says he literally cried on the way home,” Lynch told People. ‘It is a true statement, that I was very upset by this. He drove six hours to come here and on the second day they kicked him out because of his hair.
He continued: ‘So he’s upset. It’s a real thing and we haven’t really gotten any resolution on it because I haven’t heard back from TMC yet. That’s why it’s worrying.
Lynch said more than a dozen former TMC employees have complaints similar to Harvey’s.
“So in addition to him (Harvey) wanting a resolution to his matter, he also wants to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Lynch said.
DailyMail.com has approached TMC for comment.