People moving to Maine often research property taxes, housing costs, schools, employment laws and other regulations that may differ from those in their current state. Another Maine law newcomers may want to understand involves protections against discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles associated with race.
Maine enacted legislation commonly associated with the CROWN Act movement in 2022. The law amended the Maine Human Rights Act to specifically address discrimination in employment and education based on hair texture or hairstyle.
For new Maine residents, the law is particularly relevant in two everyday settings: workplaces and educational institutions.
Maine’s CROWN Act: The Basics
Legislation: LD 598
Law: Public Law 2021, Chapter 643
Approved by the Governor: April 20, 2022
Effective date: August 8, 2022
Official title: An Act To Prohibit Discrimination in Employment and School Based on Hair Texture or Hairstyle
The legislation amended the Maine Human Rights Act by expanding how “race” is defined for purposes of the applicable employment and educational discrimination provisions.
Under Maine law, race in these areas includes traits associated with race, including:
- Hair texture
- Afro hairstyles
- Protective hairstyles
Maine law defines “protective hairstyle” as including braids, twists and locks.
The Maine Legislature’s enacted-law summary notes that the legislation was based on language associated with the CROWN Act, an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
What Does Maine’s Law Mean in the Workplace?
For people relocating to Maine for employment, the law is part of the state’s broader workplace anti-discrimination framework.
Maine’s legislation amended the Maine Human Rights Act to prohibit employment discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyle and clarified that race includes traits associated with race, including hair texture, Afro hairstyles and protective hairstyles.
That means Maine employers should consider the state’s anti-discrimination requirements when developing and enforcing grooming, appearance and hairstyle policies.
Someone accepting a new position in Maine or transferring from an office in another state may therefore encounter workplace protections that differ from those in their previous state.
New employees should also understand that Maine’s hair-discrimination protections are not a standalone employment system. They operate within the broader protections provided through the Maine Human Rights Act.
What Does the Law Mean for Maine Schools?
Families relocating to Maine should also be familiar with the educational component of the law.
Public Law 2021, Chapter 643 amended Maine law to prohibit discrimination in education based on hair texture or hairstyle.
This is particularly relevant for parents reviewing school dress codes, grooming standards and other policies after enrolling their children in a Maine school.
The broader Maine Human Rights Act prohibits covered educational institutions from excluding a person from academic, extracurricular, occupational training and other programs or activities based on protected characteristics. It also addresses equal opportunity in athletic programs.
Parents moving to Maine should still become familiar with the policies of their particular school or school district, especially where health, safety, athletic equipment or other requirements may be involved.
What About School Sports and Activities?
For families with children participating in athletics or extracurricular activities, understanding Maine’s educational discrimination laws can be especially useful.
Schools and athletic programs commonly maintain policies involving uniforms, safety equipment, appearance and student conduct.
Because Maine’s definition of race for the relevant educational provisions expressly includes traits associated with race—including hair texture, Afro hairstyles and protective hairstyles—schools covered by the law must consider those protections when establishing and administering their policies.
Families relocating from another state should therefore not assume that the rules or protections they encountered previously are identical to those in Maine.
What New Maine Residents Should Know
For newcomers, the practical takeaways are relatively straightforward.
Employees: Maine’s employment anti-discrimination protections expressly recognize hair texture, Afro hairstyles and protective hairstyles as traits associated with race.
Parents: Maine’s protections also apply in covered educational settings, making the law relevant when reviewing school policies after relocating.
Students: Maine’s broader educational anti-discrimination framework applies to academic and extracurricular programs and addresses equal opportunity in athletic programs.
Employers and educational institutions: Grooming, appearance and hairstyle policies should be developed and administered consistently with the Maine Human Rights Act.
Why This Matters When Moving Between States
Moving across state lines means entering a different legal environment.
Someone relocating to Maine may encounter different rules involving employment, education, housing, vehicle registration, taxes, consumer protection and numerous other aspects of everyday life.
Maine’s hair-discrimination law is one example.
Rather than creating an entirely separate system of workplace or educational rules, Public Law 2021, Chapter 643 amended the existing Maine Human Rights Act to clarify how protections against racial discrimination apply to certain hair textures and hairstyles.
That distinction can be important for employees moving to Maine for work as well as parents enrolling their children in Maine schools.
Maine CROWN Act at a Glance
Passed: 2022
Approved: April 20, 2022
Effective: August 8, 2022
Legislation: LD 598
Law: Public Law 2021, Chapter 643
Applies to: Relevant employment and educational protections under the Maine Human Rights Act
Hair characteristics addressed: Hair texture and hairstyles associated with race
Examples specifically identified in Maine law: Afro hairstyles, braids, twists and locks
What newcomers should remember: Maine law expressly recognizes certain hair textures and hairstyles as traits associated with race when applying the state’s relevant employment and educational anti-discrimination protections.
Moving to Maine Means Learning Maine Laws
Relocating to Maine involves considerably more than finding a home and changing an address.
New residents become subject to a different collection of state laws covering employment, education, taxes, transportation, housing and other aspects of daily life.
Maine’s protections concerning hair texture and hairstyles are one of those state-specific laws worth understanding.
For employees, parents and students arriving in Maine, the central point is straightforward: Maine law specifically addresses discrimination involving hair texture and hairstyles associated with race as part of the Maine Human Rights Act.
For people comparing states or preparing for a move to the Pine Tree State, understanding laws like this can provide a clearer picture of what living, working and attending school in Maine involves.