An Texas police officer says he was reprimanded by his superiors after being told that his cornrow braided hairstyle was unprofessional. Dakari Davis was an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department, told WFAA 8 that his colleagues “shouldn’t judge me based on my appearance,” saying that his co-workers “know my character, you know my heart.”

Davis told the news outlet he was left shocked by the following the comment, stating, “To say that a Black police officer who wears cornrows is unprofessional, what does that say about you and the way you view black people that wear cornrows?”

Davis joined the DART police force in 2019 and he never believed his appearance, would interfere with his job performance.

“There was a particular lieutenant who disagreed with that, and he felt that it was unprofessional for male police officers to wear cornrows and contacted the Chief of Police and eventually filed a formal complaint against my hairstyle,” Davis revealed.

Documents obtained by WFAA, Davis was ordered not to wear his braided hairstyle while in full uniform in July 2019. Then several months later, Davis chose to wear the hairstyle while dressed fully in his uniform during a DART police officer awards ceremony. In November of 2019, an internal affairs investigation began, and once again, Davis’s “braided or cornrows hairstyle” was deemed “unprofessional” and “unapproved.”

Davis faced several allegations including, insubordination for disobeying a direct order from a supervisor and violation of the police department’s dress code policy. Then he was placed on paid administrative leave and handed a recommendation for termination and a letter of reprimand

Davis  said the course of actions left him depressed, however, he had the support of his wife, family, and friends. The officer eventually contacted Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, who intervened on his behalf. Soon after the department told Price that “they would handle it” according to WFAA 8. In September 2020, Davis’s letter of reprimand was rescinded.

DART Director of External Relations Gordon Shattles told the news outlet that the department would review their appearance police, stating that, “as you can imagine, times change, people have different desires. We understand that you want to be able to work your job. Also, you want to be able to present a bit of yourself and to present yourself in a particular way.”

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