Pa. CROWNS New Hair Protections: Hair-Based Discrimination Rules for Schools and Workplaces Take Effect
Labor and Employment attorneys Tara Singh Param and Maddie Fenton co-authored a column in The Legal Intelligencer examining Pennsylvania's new "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair" (CROWN) Act and its implications for educational institutions and employers across the Commonwealth. They explain that the law amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to expressly protect hair texture, protective hairstyles, and certain head coverings and hairstyles associated with religious practice, while also imposing a high bar for any policy that seeks to restrict them. The authors advise schools, colleges, universities and workplaces to review grooming and dress code policies, remove subjective appearance standards and ensure any remaining restrictions are narrowly tailored, nondiscriminatory and applied consistently.