right after college, i began working at sharon dorram at sally hershberger salon as a receptionist.st realized my hair was an issue for sharon dorram and the workers there when i asked for an evaluation from my general manager at the time. the only negative feedback he gave me was that my hair wasn't straight enough, even though i already straightened it with a flat iron, he said it needed to be a little bit straighter. when i came into work the next day with a wig, i was told that it looked like a wig. of course it looks like a wig, my hair doesn't do that. so after i was told it looked too wiggy and i shouldn't wear it, i left early that day, crying. i felt hurt, i felt like, why am i working here, why do you want me to work here if you don't like who i present myself as. >> usually, hair discrimination cases are not often obvious and you have to do a little bit more digging. in order to prove some kind of discrimination under the new york city human rights law, all you have to show is differential treatment, or that you were treated less well because of the protected status. >> p

celebrity hair stylist sally hershberger's salon here in new york -- they've been fined $70,000 for violatingaw. now, the law -- the salon was accused or has accused -- the salon was accused -- let me get this right -- of telling workers to not wear afros or box braids, natural hairstyles. the salon manager texted someone saying -- the front desk at the salon -- "we look like we should be on east 134th street." okay, for people who don't know what that means, that is harlem, where there are black- and brown-owned salons. this salon is downtown in a more affluent, if you will, neighborhood. well, this is the first settlement since the city passed rules banning hair-based discrimination for employees, e dsing, and public facilities. interesting that we even need a law for this. let me get you to stand up. come on, show off these braids. you didn't stand in the salon for six hours for nothing. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> oh, my god. >> i actually wore braids last year. before we started the show, i had braids for a second in my hair. it never occurred to me that you would need a law to protect