Iowa trucking company faces second recent lawsuit over dreadlocks

By Marcus McIntosh

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Drew Harvey was hired by TMC Transportation as a flatbed truck driver back in June.

Two days into his orientation, the company told him to cut his dreadlocks or lose his job.

His lawsuit contends he was told by TMC that his locks were a safety hazard. His attorney tells KCCI Harvey was ultimately terminated on the spot for refusing to cut off his dreadlocks.

“They told him he essentially needed to buzz his head. Even trimming it was not an option,” said Ben Lynch, Harvey’s attorney.

Thursday, Lynch filed the lawsuit claiming race discrimination and harassment in Polk County District Court, contending TMC Transportation’s long hair policy for men is racist and inconsistently enforced.

“I do have personal knowledge of this hair policy that they have; sometimes they don’t enforce it fairly, in my opinion. Sometimes they are enforcing it to different standards on different people. Different races,” Lynch said.

Lynch previously represented a man named Damon Mitchell in a similar lawsuit back in 2021.

Mitchell claimed he was fired from TMC’s commercial driver’s license program over his refusal to cut his dreadlocks. Lynch told KCCI he couldn’t comment on the outcome of that case but says his current client suffered emotional distress and lost wages as a result of the company’s policy.

“I believe, and my client believes ultimately, that he was singled out based on his race,” Lynch said.

If Harvey’s case goes to trial, it could be as long as two years.

We went to TMC Transportation’s SW Des Moines location and were told there would be no comment.

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