Discrimination suit in Vienna

[metclubin]

I guess everyone must have heard about the famous lawsuit against the Korean dry-cleaners who were legal immigrants for losing a pant of a influential person (probably government). Their store said Satisfaction Guranteed and thats the reason the influential person sued the person because in this case the client was not satisfied. The dry-cleaners won the case eventually where the person sueing had to pay the dry-cleaner's legal expenses and he never got the pant.

[seldomseen]

The Drycleaners incident that made national headlines wasn't racially motived in my opinion. I just think the guy suing was just a complete moron, and a-hole, that was trying to manipulate the legal system, and make some fast money for himself! He should be ashamed of himself! I believe he was disbarred too--which is what he really deserved!!

[New Hampshire]

Beauticians are licensed by the state, and to pass the licensing exam, they have to be able to work on all types of hair texture, lengths, perms, cuts, etc.

That having been said, I wouldn't want to go to a podiatrist to have my tonsils removed even though the foot doctor had to have basic training in the throat to be graduated from medical school and get his state license.

So, maybe a better way for the beauty shop to handle this was to say to the customer that they haven't had anyone to work on her hair texture since beauty school, and would she mind? Then, the owner should do it, particularly if it is more than a wash and dry.

[SmerkyGrl]

Originally Posted by rainmaker2007

As someone with ethnic hair I have to wonder if anyone on this post even knows what they are talking about. The most successful businesses today (hair salon or otherwise) know it is good business to cater to ALL potential clients. Thankfully the salon industry is starting to realize this and schools are getting much better at making sure all stylists have at least a basic understanding of all hair types and required processes.
I have run into this so many times before, a stylist will assume without even examining my hair that they cannot do it -- they just look at the color of my skin and assume they know the deal. Well, it isn't quite that easy. People, white, black, Hispanic or Asian come with a variety of hair textures, lengths and so on. Just because a person is African American does not necessarily require that they have an African American specialist do their hair. My current stylist is in fact a Caucasian women and while she admits she was intimidated at first she agrees there is nothing extra or different to be done. It was all in her head.
In this particular situation, they didn't even examine her hair before they rejected her request. RED FLAG. All they examined was the color of her skin.

As an Asian person with fine hair, I have to disagree. African American hair, just like Asian hair, requires different steps in the coloring, dying, perming, and/or other treating process. I think it was smart from the Salon's side to decide not to do the service when they knew they did not have the capabilities. People have sued for having their hair ruined and gone on the Maury show to whine about it. Some people are so focused on political correctness that practicality and common sense completely escapes them. Quite a shame that people are now thinking this way. When my mom got her hair permed (She has the same baby fine Asian hair as I do), the stylist basically fried her hair to death and it took over 2 years for it to regrow and become shiny and soft again. I know African American hair grows even slower and I can't imagine anyone wanting to deal with that simply because they got a "brave stylist" that wanted to give it a shot to fight their own intimidation.

[saganista]

On the other side of the coin, "We don't know how to cut Negro hair" was the cliche excuse put forward by just plain racists back in the 50's and 60's, so there's a little bit of hot-button background going on in this. The better thing would have been for the salon and the customer to have worked it all out between them, which may have been what happened in the end, as I don't see any press coverage re further developments...