A North Carolina teen is speaking up after she says a supervisor at a Chick-fil-A where she works told her to go home because of her hair.
“She pulled me aside and she was like, ‘Hey, one of our supervisors came through yesterday and they noticed blond in your hair, and they want you to take it out and come back since blond is an unnatural color to you,’” Autumn Williams told Hawaii News Now.
The 16-year-old and her mother, Nina Burch, said they have decided to share her story so that others are aware and informed.
“You’re being sent home because your hair color is not natural? I didn’t understand what that meant,” Burch said.
Burch further added that Chick-fil-A management refused to speak with her after she called the establishment to learn more about why her daughter was sent home.
According to a Chick-fil-A spokesperson, the supervisor who ordered Williams to go home was unaware of the company policy and has invited her to come back to work, according to WBTV.
However, Williams says she is done with the place and has no desire to work there again.
Chick-fil-A’s corporate office would not say if the supervisor faced disciplinary actions or if she would receive additional training following the incident.
“I just hope that companies realize that no one fits in a box. People come in different colors, shapes, sizes and what you perceive to be natural based off someone’s ethnicity or race isn’t necessarily true,” Burch said.
She added that Chick-fil-A has not contacted her or her daughter’s father since the incident took place.
“No one else should feel like they have to change themselves to fit into someone’s perfect image of them,” Williams said.
When asked if Burch would take legal action, she said she is considering all possibilities.
This story is developing.
