The Michigan CROWN Act makes it illegal to discriminate against you because of your natural hair texture or a protective hairstyle like braids, locks, or twists. It does this by amending the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act so that the definition of “race” expressly includes traits historically associated with race, including hair.1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 37.2103 The protection reaches employment, education, housing, and public accommodations, and you have 180 days from the discriminatory act to file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.2Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Complaint Investigation
What Hair the Law Protects
Under the amended statute, race “is inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles,” and “protective hairstyles” includes, but is not limited to, braids, locks, and twists.1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 37.2103
The “not limited to” language is doing real work. Braids, locks, and twists are named, but the statute is written broadly enough to reach other styles associated with race, including Bantu knots, cornrows, and locs worn in different configurations. Texture coverage is similarly open-ended, reaching naturally coiled, curly, or tightly textured hair rather than a fixed list. If a style or texture is historically associated with race, the law is designed to cover it.
Who Has to Follow It
Because the CROWN Act works by amending Elliott-Larsen, every entity already bound by that civil rights law has to comply. The reach is wider than many people assume.
Employment coverage starts at one employee. Michigan’s definition of “employer” covers any person or organization with one or more employees, along with that employer’s agents.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 37.2201 – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act That is a much lower threshold than federal Title VII, which only applies at 15 employees.4U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 A sole proprietor with a single worker is covered in Michigan.
K-12 schools, public school academies, and universities fall under the Act’s education article, which prohibits discrimination in the full use of institutional programs, services, and activities. Landlords, brokers, and property managers involved in a real estate transaction cannot discriminate on the basis of race as now defined. Public accommodations, from restaurants and gyms to government offices, must also comply.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 37.2302 – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
Religious educational institutions have a narrow exemption that lets them limit admission or give preference based on religion. That exemption applies only to religion-based decisions, not to race-related discrimination like hair texture or hairstyle.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 37.2403 – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
What a Violation Looks Like
In a workplace, violations include refusing to hire you, firing you, denying a promotion, cutting your pay, or changing the terms of your job because of your hair texture or protective hairstyle.7Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 37.2202 – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act A grooming policy that calls for “neat and professional hair” but is enforced only against employees with naturally textured hair or protective styles is a textbook example.
In schools, dress codes or appearance policies that single out styles like locks or braids are unlawful. Disciplining a student, barring them from class, or excluding them from extracurricular activities based on their natural hair violates the Act.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 37.2402 – Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act A school that forces a student to cut their locs to compete in a sport is the scenario the law targets.
In housing, a landlord who rejects an applicant or treats a tenant differently because of their hair violates the same statute. The same goes for a business that refuses service or provides worse service to a customer based on hairstyle or texture.
Safety and Hygiene Rules Still Apply
The CROWN Act does not override legitimate safety rules. Federal OSHA regulations require employers to make sure workers cover and protect long hair so it does not get caught in machine parts like belts and chains.9Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Personal Protective Equipment Fact Sheet Food service has its own hygiene requirements.
The line is between a rule that addresses a genuine safety or hygiene concern and one that functionally bans protected hairstyles. Requiring a hairnet in a kitchen is fine. Requiring an employee to cut their locs because a standard-issue hard hat does not fit is not, when the employer could provide a different size or style of head covering. Employers are expected to look for non-discriminatory alternatives, like hairnets, hair ties, or appropriately sized protective equipment, before restricting any hairstyle.
How to File a Complaint With the MDCR
The deadline is the first thing to lock in. You have 180 days from the date of the discriminatory incident to file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.2Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Complaint Investigation Miss that window and the MDCR will not accept the complaint. If the discrimination is ongoing, the 180 days runs from the most recent incident.
You can submit a complaint through the MDCR’s online portal, call 1-800-482-3604, or speak with a Civil Rights Claims Examiner virtually through Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays during posted hours.2Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Complaint Investigation If the MDCR determines the incident falls within the laws it enforces and happened within 180 days, the agency prepares a formal complaint for you to sign, date, and return.
Once the signed complaint is on the docket, both you and the organization you filed against can present evidence. The MDCR may conduct site visits, interview witnesses, and review documents, and it may schedule a conference with both parties to explore resolution.2Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Complaint Investigation If both sides settle at any stage, the agency closes the investigation. If not, the MDCR finishes investigating and issues findings.
Gather your evidence before you file. Write down the name of the employer or organization, the dates of each incident, and exactly what was said or done. Save written policies, emails, and text messages. Note the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed what happened. Organized documentation makes the agency’s initial screening faster and strengthens your case.
The Federal Route Through the EEOC
For job-related hair discrimination, you have a second avenue. Because Michigan has its own anti-discrimination enforcement agency, you get an extended deadline of 300 calendar days from the date of the incident to file a charge with the EEOC, rather than the usual 180.10U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Time Limits For Filing A Charge Complaints between 180 and 300 days old can go to either agency but will be handled by the EEOC.11Michigan Department of Civil Rights. MDCR Jurisdiction
The EEOC already treats hair texture as a protected characteristic associated with race under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.12U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Facts About Race/Color Discrimination The federal route matters because it opens the door to a federal lawsuit if the EEOC does not resolve the charge.
After the EEOC closes its investigation, it issues a Notice of Right to Sue, and you then have 90 days to file in court.13U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Filing a Lawsuit If more than 180 days have passed since you filed your charge and the investigation is still open, you can request the notice early, and the EEOC is required to grant it. The 90-day lawsuit deadline is strict, and missing it can end your case.
What You Can Recover
Under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, someone who proves hair-based discrimination can seek both injunctive relief and monetary damages. Injunctive relief is a court order making the organization change its behavior, like rescinding a discriminatory grooming policy or reinstating a fired employee. Monetary damages cover the actual injury or loss caused by the violation, and the statute explicitly includes reasonable attorney’s fees as part of recoverable damages.14Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 37.2801
You can file a civil lawsuit in the circuit court for the county where the discrimination happened or where the defendant resides or has its principal place of business.14Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 37.2801 A civil lawsuit is not bound by the 180-day MDCR window, but general statutes of limitation still apply, so delay is risky.
For employment claims under federal Title VII, compensatory and punitive damages are capped based on employer size, ranging from $50,000 for employers with 15 to 100 employees up to $300,000 for employers with more than 500 employees. Those caps do not apply to claims brought under 42 U.S.C. Section 1981, which covers race-based discrimination with no damage ceiling and no minimum employer size. Because hair-based discrimination is now explicitly race discrimination in Michigan, Section 1981 may be a powerful additional avenue when the facts support intentional discrimination.
Back pay is a common piece of an employment recovery. The calculation is straightforward: the total compensation you would have earned, including salary, bonuses, benefits, and retirement contributions, minus what you actually earned during the same period. Courts expect you to look for comparable work while your case is pending. Turn down reasonable offers or stop searching, and the employer can argue your back pay should be reduced.