The CROWN Act

The CROWN Act prohibits employers from adopting a policy which does not allow employees to wear the employee’s hair in braids, locs, twists, or another manner that is part of the cultural identification of the employee’s ethic group. A policy adopted in violation of this law is discriminatory and void.  

The law does not create a private cause of action. An employee may file a complaint with the department of labor and workforce development. The department will provide a warning to an employer in violation of this section.

The law does not apply to a public safety employee if it would prevent the employee from performing the essential functions of the employee’s job and does not apply to a policy that an employer must adopt to adhere to safety standards, or to comply with federal or state laws, rules, and regulations relative to health or safety.

T. C. A. § 50-1-313.