On September 15, a federal appeals court ruled that it is completely OK for employers to deny employment to those with dreadlocks—basically making employment discrimination against dreadlocks legal. The decision was made in response to a lawsuit brought by Chasity Jones and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision against Catastrophe Management Solutions of Mobile, Alabama. A human resources representative told Jones that her hairstyle was against company policy, as dreadlocks "tend to get messy." When Jones refused to get rid of her dreads, she says her job offer was rescinded.

In the lawsuit, the EEOC explained, "dreadlocks are a manner of wearing the hair that is physiologically and culturally associated with people of African descent." But the final decision came down to figuring out if the hairstyle was a physical trait that could be changed. "We recognize that the distinction between immutable and mutable characteristics of race can sometimes be a fine (and difficult) one, but it is a line that courts have drawn,” U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan explained in the ruling. “So, for example, discrimination on the basis of black hair texture (an immutable characteristic) is prohibited by Title VII, while adverse action on the basis of black hairstyle (a mutable choice) is not."

The ruling took place a day after high-end designer Marc Jacobs sent models down the NYFW runway with colorful dreadlocks—a hairstyle apparently inspired by "rave culture, Boy George, and anime." Social media users quickly voiced their outrage about the obvious cultural appropriation, pointing out that Jacobs clearly didn’t recognize the style's significance in black culture, which eventually led to an apology from the designer.

I understand why so many are upset. As an African-American woman, it certainly doesn't feel good to consistently see white women wearing dreads receive praise from fashion elites, while black women with the same hairstyle are compared to smelling like weed and patchouli oil (remember the controversy over Zendaya’s faux dreadlocks on the red carpet?). Hairstyles that are traditionally associated with white women are rarely banned in professional environments. Yet corporate offices and even the U.S. Army have debated whether Afros, dreadlocks, and cornrows are “work-appropriate."

Whether you're a fan of dreadlocks or not, a hairstyle is no indication of how well someone can perform their job.

Related: Kentucky School Called Racist For Banning Dreadlocks and 'Cornrolls'