In-N-Out Lawsuit: $3M Claim Over Natural Hair Termination
In-N-Out Faces Discrimination Suit Over Hairstyle Policy
A former In-N-Out employee is suing the popular fast-food chain, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination due to his natural hairstyle. Elijah Obeng, a California native, claims the company’s grooming policy led to emotional distress, reputational damage, and job loss.
Obeng is seeking $3 million in damages, plus $200,000 in lost earnings. The lawsuit centers on In-N-Out’s grooming standards, which require employees to be clean-shaven and keep their hair under a hat.
According to court documents, Obeng worked at In-N-Out from his high school graduation in 2020 until his firing in 2024.The suit claims that as Obeng’s hair grew longer, he was told to cut it or alter it to comply with the uniform policy.Obeng then braided his hair, but management allegedly insisted he cut his sideburns.
Obeng claims this request was humiliating and discriminatory. He alleges he was then subjected to harsher scrutiny, reprimanded for minor infractions, and denied opportunities for promotion.The suit states that obeng was eventually sent home to shave his sideburns, which he felt was a public humiliation. He never returned to work, as shaving his sideburns was a condition for his return.
A few days later, In-N-Out terminated Obeng, citing prior write-ups. Though, Obeng argues that the real reason was discrimination based on his “ancestry, color and race, including his natural hairstyle and hair texture.”
Obeng and his lawyer contend that In-N-Out violated the CROWN Act,a law in California and 26 othre states that protects employees from race-based hair discrimination. in-N-Out declined to comment on the pending litigation. Obeng and his lawyer have not yet responded to requests for comment.