TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Florida A&M faces a discrimination lawsuit from a white employee who says he was fired after a dispute over wearing his hair in braids.
Kevin Short, a former employee of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), filed a lawsuit Feb. 5 against the FAMU Board of Trustees in Leon County Circuit Court.
Short alleges that he was subjected to discriminatory treatment due to his race and disability while working as a Maintenance Worker at FAMU. He claims that Assistant Director Carey Brown and Maintenance Worker Rod, both Black males, specifically targeted him with disparate treatment and retaliation.
Short also alleges that despite submitting doctor's notes for medical leave due to his serious medical condition - a herniated disc - he was told by Brown that he was taking too much time off for medical appointments.
He further claims that he faced discriminatory comments about his race when he asked if he could wear his hair in braids or dreadlocks.
Brown had told him it was against Short's culture to wear his hair in braids or dreads, and Short later asked Brown's supervisor about it, the suit says.
"After Brown learned of Plaintiff's conversations with Ms. Brown, he told Plaintiff, 'if you ever go over my head again, I will fire you!'" the suit says.
"Plaintiff replied, 'other people wear braids, why can't I?' Brown said, 'that's not your culture.'"
Short was fired soon after "under the guise" of poor performance evaluations.
Marrie Mattox of Tallahassee represents Short.