Cuyahoga County Becomes First in Ohio to Ban Hair Discrimination: Key Takeaways for Employers

Big change is here for employers in Cuyahoga County. The CROWN Act (short for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) has been adopted at the county level, meaning discrimination based on natural hair textures or protective hairstyles is now prohibited across the county. The law went into effect on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Starting now, hairstyles such as braids, locs, twists, afros, and other naturally-textured or protective styles can no longer be used as a justification for differential treatment in employment, housing, or public services across the county.

With this law, Cuyahoga County joins a nationwide effort to protect individuals’ right to wear their natural hair proudly and without penalty and becomes the first county in Ohio to embrace a full ban on hair-based discrimination. The law clarifies that when hair texture or style is tied to race, it is treated as racial discrimination.

The Cuyahoga County Human Rights Commission will oversee enforcement, with authority to investigate complaints, mediate disputes, conduct hearings, and issue civil penalties when violations are confirmed.

For Cuyahoga County employers, this new law offers an opportunity to review appearance, grooming, and dress-code policies to ensure they are inclusive and applied consistently. Employers in Cuyahoga County should consider the following:

• Review appearance, grooming, and dress-code policies. Ensure that any standard enforced is race-neutral, doesn’t effectively single out protective styles or natural hair textures, and is grounded in a legitimate business need (such as health or safety) rather than aesthetic preference.
• Train HR teams and managers. Communicate that hairstyles like braids, locs, twists, afros, and other naturally or culturally associated textures may now be considered protected.
• Update internal documents. Handbooks, employee policies, anti-discrimination statements, and training materials should reflect that hairstyle texture and protective style discrimination is now explicitly prohibited.
• Stay alert! While the State of Ohio has not yet enacted a statewide CROWN-style law, more state and local jurisdictions are moving in that direction. Over half of U.S. states and dozens of cities have passed similar legislation.

Employers with questions about compliance or policy updates under the new ordinance are encouraged to reach out to Stacey M. Sanderson, Jennifer Fewell Phillips, or any member of Frantz Ward’s Labor and Employment Practice Group.