Ex-In-N-Out employee sues over alleged discrimination against locs

A former black employee at In-N-Out has sued the fast-food chain over his bosses’ alleged hair discrimination against its locomotives.

Elijah Obeng wants to take legal action against his employer for wrongful dismissal. The 21-year-old California native claims management mistreated him because of his hair, claiming his bosses pressured him to remove the natural hairstyle.

According to KIISFMObeng is seeking at least $3.2 million in damages for workplace discrimination and wrongful dismissal. He filed the lawsuit in Compton Superior Court in June 2025, also alleging harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Obeng invokes the CROWN Act, a state law that prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and natural hair styling. According to Obeng, management pressured him to change his hair to comply with In-N-Out’s grooming policy at the Compton location.

“In-N-Out had a grooming and uniform policy that required employees to wear hats and keep their hair covered, and I was pressured to change my hair to comply,” Obeng says.

Obeng says that although he tried to comply, even braiding his locs to fit under his hat, management continued to say this was not enough to meet work standards. They even suggested he cut his hair or change his style further, and reportedly sent him home one day to shave his sideburns.

He called the public dismissal “humiliating” and later stated that employers had fired him from the Compton store.

“I allege that the reason stated was not the true reason and that my natural hair/style and my resistance to discriminatory grooming expectations were substantial factors in the negative actions taken against me,” Obeng added.

Obeng claims that his hair was a natural style that aligned with his racial and cultural identity. However, he says his bosses did not respect this idea, which led to his lawsuit.

Since it was logged in The 2019 California law legally protected the CROWN Act from hair discrimination based on race in schools and workplacesand other branches. As of this year, 28 states have introduced CROWN Act regulations to ensure that these biases do not limit academic or professional opportunities.

In light of the filing, attorneys for In-N-Out have filed to settle the case privately, as the employee contract states that disputes can be arbitrated. However, Obeng wants to keep the case in open court. He argued that signing the agreement as a 17-year-old minor allows him to circumvent its provisions.

The cult-favorite eatery has also denied Obeng’s claims that his firing was a result of this hair discrimination. A hearing remains scheduled for January 22 on the proposal to hear the case privately.

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