Black Officer Disciplined For Wearing Bantu Knots On Duty, Lawsuit Says

Photo: Getty Images

A Black police officer in Maplewood, New Jersey is suing her boss and the township after she was disciplined for wearing Bantu knots, NBC News reports.

Officer Chian Weekes-Rivera said she received an internal affairs complaint informing her that she violated the police department's on-duty dress code days after she wore Bantu knots, a traditional African hairstyle, to work in August.

Weekes-Rivera filed a lawsuit last week, accusing defendants of violating the CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination of hair texture, type, and style.

The 10-year police veteran said her sergeants were also disciplined for "failure to supervise," referring to them not ordering Weekes-River to change her hairstyle.

According to the lawsuit, Weekes-Rivera was disciplined after she was featured in a 2021 township video highlighting diversity in the police department.

The lawsuit names the township and Police Capt. Peter Kuenzel as defendants. Weekes-Rivera is requesting both parties comply with the CROWN Act and produce copies of policies on officers' hairstyles and complaints about her hair.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.


View Full Site