What started as a simple grooming request has now spiraled into a high-stakes legal showdown between a young fast food worker and one of America’s most iconic burger chains.
Elijah Obeng, a 21-year-old former employee at In-N-Out Burger’s Compton, California location, has filed a lawsuit claiming he was racially targeted and eventually fired because of his sideburns — a part of his cultural identity he refused to shave off.
Fired Over Facial Hair?
Obeng’s legal complaint, filed last Thursday in Compton Superior Court, paints a picture of escalating discrimination.
He says the trouble began after he chose to grow out his hair — something he’d done after working nearly four years at the same In-N-Out location post-high school.
The restaurant enforces a strict grooming policy: hair tucked into company-issued hats, clean-shaven faces for male employees.
Obeng tried to comply by switching to braids, but management allegedly took issue with his sideburns — which he says are part of his Black cultural heritage.
Feeling Targeted and Isolated
After his sideburns became a point of contention, Obeng said the vibe at work totally changed.
He began getting singled out for minor infractions, like missing meetings or small policy slips — things his coworkers weren’t being reprimanded for.
According to the lawsuit, the harassment culminated on May 25, 2024.
Obeng had just clocked in for his shift when his supervisor, in front of the entire team, told him to leave and come back after shaving his sideburns. Obeng says the incident was humiliating.
He Refused to Shave — and Was Let Go
Instead of returning later that same day, Obeng sent his supervisor a text explaining that he wouldn’t be shaving his sideburns and planned to come in for his next scheduled shift.
To him, the grooming demand wasn’t just inconvenient — it was discriminatory.
But when he came back, he found himself out of a job.
Obeng claims the termination violated California law, specifically the CROWN Act — legislation that bans workplace discrimination based on natural hair texture or protective styles. His sideburns, he argues, fall under that protection.
In-N-Out Pushes Back
In response, In-N-Out has denied that Obeng’s firing had anything to do with his hair.
The company says he was let go because of earlier disciplinary issues and not due to any grooming policy bias.
They’ve also claimed that they do not support discriminatory practices.
A Bigger Fight About Culture and Identity
Obeng’s lawsuit asks for major compensation: $1 million in general damages, $2 million for emotional distress, and $200,000 in lost pay.
He’s also demanding punitive damages, which would be determined at trial.
Beyond the legal battle, this case highlights the ongoing tension between workplace appearance rules and the expression of Black identity.
Sideburns, like afros and beards, have long held cultural significance — particularly during the Black Power Movement of the 60s and 70s.
Influential figures like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael made facial hair a political and cultural statement, as did soul and funk legends like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.
Sideburns Are More Than Just a Trend
Interestingly, the word “sideburns” traces back to Ambrose Burnside, a Union general known for his dramatic facial hair.
But for many Black men, it’s not about fashion — it’s about legacy.
Whether in protest, pride, or personal style, facial hair remains a form of self-expression.
And now, for Elijah Obeng, it’s at the center of a legal fight for fairness in the workplace.