- Milton Myrie, 36, claimed South Fulton police forced him to cut his dreadlocks to become a police officer
- Myrie, a member of the Rastafarian faith, had been growing his locks for 20 years but felt he had no choice but to cut them.
- The City of South Fulton passed the CROWN Act in 2020, which prohibits hairstyle discrimination
A former Georgia police officer is suing the department for discrimination, claiming he was forced to cut off the dreadlocks he grew because of his religion — even though the CROWN Act was in effect.
Milton Myrie, 36, filed a lawsuit Sunday for an undisclosed amount of damages against the City of South Fulton Police Department, claiming they forced him to cut off his dreadlocks or he wouldn't be able to become a police officer.
Myrie had moved his family from New York to Georgia to work for law enforcement in January 2021 when he claimed he was given the ultimatum.
When he was in the police academy just before signing his contract and completing his training, Myrie said former Deputy Chief Connie Rogers told him he had to quit his locs to work for the department.
Myrie claimed that he requested a religious accommodation several times but was told there was none.
Milton Myrie, 36, claimed that South Fulton city police forced him to cut off his dreadlocks that he had been growing for 20 years
According to the lawsuit, Myrie is a member of the Rastafarian faith and wore a long, natural locs hairstyle that symbolized his connection to biblical wisdom and served as his spiritual energy conduits.
“He grew his locks for 20 years in accordance with his Rastafarian religion, and in one day he was asked to turn his back on everything he believed in,” the lawsuit said.
According to the Associated press'Rastafari followers believe that marijuana use is prescribed in Bible passages and that the 'sacred herb' induces a meditative state and brings them closer to the divine.'
An automatic disqualification for South Fulton Police Department applicants is drug use within the past 24 months, including no scheduled drug use except marijuana within the past 20 years.
Although cannabis is illegal in the state of Georgia, the city of South Fulton has decriminalized the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for recreational use.
The lawsuit also alleged that police had a sex-based double standard, as Myrie witnessed female officers being allowed to wear their hair in dreadlocks.
In February 2023, Myrie said he was finally able to speak to someone in human resources and was informed of a religious accommodation.
After Myrie learned that his supervisors had not informed him of this policy, he resigned from the department.
To comply with what he believed was the haircut policy, Myrie repeatedly shaved his head so that his hair was less than two inches, resulting in a chronic skin condition that left him unable to regrow his locks, the lawsuit alleged.
“He had a deep and personal spiritual connection with his hair, and would not have cut them if he knew he could have kept them in accordance with federal law and the city's CROWN Act,” the lawsuit said.
Before Myrie started working in South Fulton, the city passed the CROWN Act in November 2020.
The law makes it illegal for workplaces to discriminate against someone because of their hairstyle, including protective and cultural hair textures and hairstyles.
Myrie's lawsuit alleged that police violated his civil rights and the city's CROWN Act
Myrie's lawsuit alleged that the police and the city violated his civil rights by not adhering to his religious hairstyle, sex-based discrimination and violating the city's CROWN Act.
A spokesperson for the city of South Fulton said FOX 5: 'Rest assured that we take all allegations seriously and are committed to ensuring a fair and equitable workplace for all employees.'
“It is essential to note that our city is committed to upholding the principles set forth in the CROWN Act, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for all employees.”