After investigating several certified complaints filed against a Traverse City salon, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights on Thursday filed a formal charge of discrimination against the Studio 8 Hair Lab LLC.
In the charge, MDCR asserts that after an investigation of at least three complaints filed with the agency, they have found that statements published by Studio 8 Hair Lab LLC on social media and elsewhere denying services to individuals based on sex is a violation of the state’s primary civil rights law, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA).
“This is not a complicated case,” said John E. Johnson, Jr., executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. “It is not a case that relies on complex legal concepts or requires expansive or convoluted arguments to explain. But none of that is to say it is not an important case. It is.”
ELCRA prohibits discrimination in public accommodations, which includes businesses that provide goods or services to the public.
Since July of this year, MDCR has received a total of 21 complaints of discrimination against Studio 8. Of those, 3 are part of the current charge, another 3 are currently under investigation and 2 are being evaluated to determine if the department has jurisdiction.
“The law is clear,” said Johnson. “If your business provides services, facilities, goods or accommodations to the public, advertising that those services will not be offered to certain individuals based on sex is a violation of civil rights law and could put you at risk of the kind of charge Studio 8 is facing today.”
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