Michigan hair salon charged with discrimination over social media posts
(CBS DETROIT) - The Michigan Department of Civil Rights filed charges against a hair salon in Traverse City over social media posts that stated the salon would not service LGBTQ clients.
The department argued Wednesday the social media posts are a violation of the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
"Studio 8 violated the law by denying their services to specific individuals based on sex," said John Johnson Jr., executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. "In this case, the respondent made sure that people in her community and beyond knew her position by publishing comments on social media. Spelling out the people she would refuse to serve and why."
The department says Studio 8 had 21 complaints filed against them since July 2023. The complaints stemmed from the salon posting that if a person identifies "as anything other than a man/woman please seek services at a local pet groomer."
The current formal case of discrimination is based on three of those 21 complaints.
"Our perspective on bringing the discrimination case against the salon is this; we have to enforce the laws of our state, right? And that's what the Department of Civil Rights is doing. They are enforcing the laws of our state," said Emme Zanotti, who serves as the director of advocacy and engagement for Equality Michigan.
The Eliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act was expanded earlier this year. The 1976 law already prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender, but it was further expanded to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
"It is important to say that the owner of Studio 8 need not to literally shove someone out of her doors to be found in violation of ELCRA," said Johnson.
Now that the charge of discrimination is filed, the department says the next step in the process is a public hearing.