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White Philly Cop Busted Down to Desk for Cornrows

Hair didn't look 'professional,' though several black officers wear cornrows

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 22, 2009 5:43 AM CDT

(Newser) – A white Philadelphia police officer with cornrows was ordered by a black superior to cut his hair and was temporarily busted down to desk duty because of the braids, reports the Philadelphia Daily News. Thomas Strain was ordered to cut his hair to look more "professional," even though dozens of black officers on the Philly force wear their hair in cornrows. Strain cut his hair and refused to comment on the incident. But a fellow officer complained that it was "absolutely discriminatory."

A white Philly cops was ordered to cut his cornrows.
A white Philly cops was ordered to cut his cornrows.   (©Marco Gomes)
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It was above his collar. It's not like he shaved a Nazi sign or something anti-black or anti-Hispanic on his head. It's just cornrows. I don't know what the problem is. - Anonymous Philly police officer

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 19 comments
zackmasson
Sep 25, 2009 9:57 AM CDT
dreadlocks are pretty cool man..... mullets are by far the dumbest hair-dew still around. Of course in the past people have had some insane hair-dews.
aces08
Sep 23, 2009 7:35 AM CDT
Your argument still screams discrimination because (according to you) if not his superior then other people in Philly are the culprits. However, i doubt the superior would have been physical if looking out for the safety of his subordinate.
schmidtkoff
Sep 23, 2009 6:18 AM CDT
mullets.

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