CROWN Act Becomes Law in Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council signed the CROWN Act into law on Thursday, making it illegal to discriminate against natural hairstyles.
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) was first introduced as Bill 30-19 and sponsored by Councilmembers Will Jawando and Nancy Navarro. It prohibits discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles such as braids, cornrows, locks, and afros, among others. Persons are not only protected in the workplace, but also in public accommodations, taxis, and group housing. With the new law, victims of discrimination can pursue a civil penalty of up to $5000 through the County’s Office of Human Rights.
Montgomery County becomes the first local jurisdiction to pass such a law. Last year, New York, California and New Jersey also passed legislation to prohibit discrimination against hairstyles.
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Bill Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Natural Hairstyles Passed Unanimously by Council
This is a great law championed by outstanding leadership at the County level. For anyone wondering why this is so important just consider the following; Maryland and Montgomery County to be specific – became desegregated by law in the 1950’s; less than 80yrs ago. source: https://montgomeryhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Integration-timeline.pdf
Can ANYONE explain to me why hair is an issue at school? What direct connection does it have with adversely affecting the education process. I am dumbfounded by the attention it receives. All it does is take time away from learning. It is especially ridiculous to make hair styles “prohibited” when it comes to a student’s natural hair. How can long hair (afroes, braids etc.) cause disruption in teaching? The last time I checked, schools were institutions of learning, not the Gestapo. It annoys me that this is even an issue. Quit wasting all of this energy on nonsense and stick with what you are supposed to TEACH.