Ohio House committee passes bill to protect some people with natural hairstyles

An Ohio House committee passed a bill that says public schools must allow students to wear their hair natural.

It’s an issue that has gained attention in recent years as students and staff at some schools have been told to cut, straighten or relax their hair.

Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) fought the bill through two previous general assemblies. She said hair discrimination is real.

“No one should have to worry about their locks, their fluff. They shouldn’t feel like they want to be themselves in their natural hair state,” Brent said.

Tracy Maxwell Heard is the executive director of Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence and is the former House Minority Leader. She said choices about how to wear hair have spread to workplaces.

“This creates hurdles for women in terms of interviewing, considerations of approaching employers for employment,” Maxwell Heard said. “A lot of women change their hair for an interview and then have trepidation about whether I can really go back to wearing my hair the way I want to secure the job. It affects promotions to senior and C Suite positions.”

The bill only applies to public employees and public schools. But Brent said the bill is just the beginning.

Democratic lawmakers have led the charge to pass legislation to pass a bill to prevent what they call discrimination based on hairstyles. This time, the bill received bipartisan support, with three Republicans signing on, including Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) as a co-sponsor.

The bill was eliminated by the House Civil Affairs Committee by a vote of 9-3. All the Democrats on that panel and about half of the Republicans voted for the bill. A full House vote on the bill has not been scheduled, but the chamber meets for a voting session next week.