Tyler House was excited to start a part-time job at Marcus Country Club Hills Cinema in Illinois, and she was hired after her first interview. But the 16-year-old says she was let go when the manager saw her hair at her first day of orientation.
“He called my name and brought me to the hallway and said, ‘Dreads are not allowed,’” House, who has been growing her dreadlocks for five years, recalled.
“Why is it that dreadlocks are not permitted in your employees but it’s ok for us to spend our dreadlock money in your company? I don’t understand. They come to an African American neighborhood but they discriminate against some of us. I don’t understand it,” said House’s mother, Darnetta Herring.
House’s sister wrote about what had happened on Facebook, and her post has been shared more than a thousand times.
Since then, Marcus Theatres has released a statement, saying, “This week we learned that a job candidate at our Marcus Country Club Hills Cinema was turned away because she wore dreadlocks. Some have expressed concern, and their reaction has led us to re-examine that decision. Marcus Theatres operates in many communities across the United States, and our success is due in part to our talented team.
The statement continues: “Our associates come to work each day committed to delivering a best-in-class experience to everyone who passes through our doors. Effective immediately, no job candidate will be disqualified because they wear dreadlocks. We are in the process of reviewing our protocols, and will update them to ensure that they reflect our professional standards and commitment to recognizing the diversity of our associates.”