Posted on 10/24/2014 10:49:00 AM PDT by Impala64ssa
Is this a violation of the first amendment? A man is left confused and frustrated after he feels he was denied a job based on his tattoos.
A man is left confused and frustrated after he feels he was denied a job based on his tattoos.
Bill Roach reached out to Eyewitness News because he thinks he was a victim of discrimination and was treated unfairly.
He said the tattoos aren’t gang related and shouldn’t be an issue. He’s proud of them, and they all mean something to him.
“My right arm is nothing but music,” he said. “You know, songs.”
Some mean more than others. He has the lip prints of his wife on his neck, plus a tribute to his first-born son, Ryker.
“So, my neck is the footprint from when he was born, his name, and his birth date,” said Roach.
Now those tattoos mean something else entirely – difficulty in finding a job.
He recently applied for a position in the medical industry, and even though he passed a test, he didn’t get called back for a first interview.
“She said, ‘No, the only reason we’re not hiring you is because of your tattoos,'” said Roach. “I don’t know what to do. I feel like I was bullied. I feel like I was treated unfairly and misled, and I don’t know why.”
Eyewitness News isn’t naming the company, because it didn’t break any laws. But, we did reach out to the company officials. They said they can’t comment because it’s “a personnel matter.”
“We know that every action or choice has a consequence,” said Holly Culhane of PAS Associates, a human resources consulting company.
She said it’s a problem employees have all the time, but there’s a difference between legal and illegal discrimination.
“There are certain areas that you cannot discriminate based on,” said Culhane. “So, we’re talking about race, color, religion, sex, national origin, as example of those.”
That’s why she said employers should make their practices clear.
“So, they might want to ask the question up front or they might want to just ask for the policy,” she said.
But, Roach said that’s exactly what he did and was told by a manager that it wouldn’t be a problem.
“I pulled my stuff up, and I showed them I had tattoos,” said Roach, “and I wanted to be up front, because to avoid wasting my time as well as theirs … and he encouraged me to take the test and said, you know, don’t worry about it.”
He said he’s never had a problem with his tattoos before and is well qualified and deserves a shot. He said he wouldn’t have been upset if they told him up front. Instead he had to take a day off work and now feels like his time and money were wasted.
"If I have a family member that’s sick or dying, I don’t care if the person’s (working in the medical job) got tattoos,” he said. “If they’re there to help my family member and here to save their life, I think the last thing going through someone’s mind when they’re going through an emergency is that I have tattoos. I’m sure they’re more concerned about, ‘Help my loved one.’”
Roach said he is writing a letter to Congress, seeking to make tattoo discrimination illegal unless they are hateful or gang related.
As tattoos become more and more prevalent in society, we need to decide if this issue is covered under a 1st amendment or should it be left up to the employer. You decide…..
I this guy asked me for a job I'd turn him down just for wearing a 49ers jersey ;) Now tattoo wearers are jumping on the protected class bandwagon? He has a right to ink himself up, but there are consequences. Fair or not, first impressions are lasting impressions.
Does he think he’s Colin Kaepernick?
Oh Goodie. A “Mock Idiot Tatted Up Losers” thread.
The first thing that anyone contemplating getting a tattoo should consider that the presence of a tattoo that is visible when wearing a long sleeved shirt is that they will likely never have a W-2 sent to them. Hard, cold fact.
Dude... you look like a moron! get those removed and stop dressing like puff daddy and you might get a job!
His choice of football teams probably doubles as his intelligence quotient.............that would make him a 49er in more ways than one.
If I have a business dealing with the general public, I would not consider an inked up guy or gal at all. Actions have consequences.
LOL! Yeah - young feller, you might want to find out if the prospective boss is a Cowboys fan...
My heart bleeds for him/NOT!
I remember years ago seeing a guy who had died and sculpted his hair to be two red horns sticking up from his head.
My coworkers and I agreed, we wouldn’t even accept a pizza from him if he tried to deliver it.
People are free to decorate their bodies anyway they want. But I am not required to treat them as a protected class in my business.
Is this a violation of the first amendment?
It takes unimaginable ignorance to ask that question in a non-rhetorical manner.
So I’m guessing that what looks like a lipstick tattoo on his neck is to prove he isn’t gay or what? SF ....c’mon dude!
I wouldnt hire him for lack of common sense
Flat brim "idiot" hat.
Tattoos are unprofessional and can be seen with a suit and tie.
49ers? Come on.
I need a spell checker that actually helps me recognize stupid phrasing...
The tattoo-rue is strong with this one. Actions have consequences.
I’d hire this guy.
For a grease monkey job at the Jiffy Lube. Or grunt work in some warehouse.
But as a professional? Hell No.
I’ve said this before and some Freepers hate hearing it, but its true:
Tattoos cost you money. Even if you do get a job, you will be looked down on and your pay will be less than a normal person.
We’ve got a guy here who’s inked up all over his body, but he shows up to work with high-buttoned collared shirts with long sleeves and is incredibly intelligent when it comes to systems engineering. It’s more about attitude than appearance, but if you show up to an interview with tattoos on your hands, neck, or head, you’re asking to be dismissed on principal.
This is not a young guy which means he has worked before. He’s got a weird body structure.
Well, at least he can find work in a park in NYC as a chessboard.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.