theory
04-02-2003, 05:57 PM
Bias suit filed over cost of haircut
Salon tried to charge black woman extra
By B. Scott Bortnick
Special to The Denver Post
Friday, March 28, 2003 - Sophia Burns came in for a trim, but says she left a Denver hair salon with an emotional cut that led to a racial discrimination lawsuit in federal court.
Post / Lyn Alweis
Sophia Burns says a hair salon tried to charge her an 'ethnicity' fee for a trim.
Burns, a 22-year-old African-American, said the operators of a Great Clips for Hair salon at 5145 Chambers Road charged her an "ethnicity" fee when she came in for a haircut on March 8.
Burns said the shop's owner, Brenda Cripe, said the salon "usually catered to white people," according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.
"There was not much work needed to style their (white people's) hair, but that with black people, there was more to it and that was why she was being charged," Cripe said, according to the lawsuit.
Several messages left at Cripe's home were not returned. The store's manager, who declined to give her full name said, "I don't know anything about the situation. I don't know what went down with Ms. Burns."
The lawsuit alleges the manager told Burns about the additional "ethnicity price." The added fee boosted the advertised cost of a cut and style from $28 to $35 to about $50 for Burns, according to the lawsuit.
"I refused to pay it and asked for a better understanding by what they meant," Burns said Thursday. "The owner and manager said because I was black, I had to pay more money. I thought they did not understand what they were saying. Then they said because I was not white, they had to do more to my hair."
The store waived the extra fee after Burns discussed the matter for 20 minutes.
Time has not reduced the insult.
"I was humiliated," Burns said. "I have never been exposed to racism like that in my life."
Burns said her 6-year-old brother and her 14-year-old sister witnessed the encounter. Both children remain upset by the incident, she said.
"We were all raised in a Christian home and he (the 6-year-old) did not understand why being black would bring a penalty," Burns said.
The African-American stylist who cut Burns' hair called her and apologized, according to the lawsuit. The stylist, who refused to give her full name when called Thursday, remembered Burns but declined to comment.
Burns wants to see the store punished. "I want them to understand what they are doing is not right," she said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys' fees.
Salon tried to charge black woman extra
By B. Scott Bortnick
Special to The Denver Post
Friday, March 28, 2003 - Sophia Burns came in for a trim, but says she left a Denver hair salon with an emotional cut that led to a racial discrimination lawsuit in federal court.
Post / Lyn Alweis
Sophia Burns says a hair salon tried to charge her an 'ethnicity' fee for a trim.
Burns, a 22-year-old African-American, said the operators of a Great Clips for Hair salon at 5145 Chambers Road charged her an "ethnicity" fee when she came in for a haircut on March 8.
Burns said the shop's owner, Brenda Cripe, said the salon "usually catered to white people," according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.
"There was not much work needed to style their (white people's) hair, but that with black people, there was more to it and that was why she was being charged," Cripe said, according to the lawsuit.
Several messages left at Cripe's home were not returned. The store's manager, who declined to give her full name said, "I don't know anything about the situation. I don't know what went down with Ms. Burns."
The lawsuit alleges the manager told Burns about the additional "ethnicity price." The added fee boosted the advertised cost of a cut and style from $28 to $35 to about $50 for Burns, according to the lawsuit.
"I refused to pay it and asked for a better understanding by what they meant," Burns said Thursday. "The owner and manager said because I was black, I had to pay more money. I thought they did not understand what they were saying. Then they said because I was not white, they had to do more to my hair."
The store waived the extra fee after Burns discussed the matter for 20 minutes.
Time has not reduced the insult.
"I was humiliated," Burns said. "I have never been exposed to racism like that in my life."
Burns said her 6-year-old brother and her 14-year-old sister witnessed the encounter. Both children remain upset by the incident, she said.
"We were all raised in a Christian home and he (the 6-year-old) did not understand why being black would bring a penalty," Burns said.
The African-American stylist who cut Burns' hair called her and apologized, according to the lawsuit. The stylist, who refused to give her full name when called Thursday, remembered Burns but declined to comment.
Burns wants to see the store punished. "I want them to understand what they are doing is not right," she said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys' fees.