Woman claims TSA search was 'racially motivated' after agents demand to search her hair



A Seattle-area woman has accused Transportation Security Administration officials of racial profiling, after she was forced to have her hair curly hair inspected before boarding a flight.

Laura Adiele, who is mixed race, says she was waiting in line with several passengers 'with big hair and ponytails' at a security checkpoint at SeaTac airport.

But she was the only woman told she needed a hand screening - of her head.



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Furious: Laura Adiele filed a complaint with the TSA after agents demanded to search her hair. She claimed the search was 'racially motivated'

Racial profiling? Ms Adiele claims many other travellers had 'big hair and ponytails' who were not pinpointed

Ms Adiele had already gone through the Advance Imaging system - scanners used to detect both metallic and non-metallic items hidden on passengers - when she was approached by security.

'It's just totally a violation of my personal space and my biggest question is if I'm going through a full body X-ray what more do you need to find, after that?' she asked.

She told King5.com: 'When I first heard her (security officer) say, "We're going to have to pat you down," I thought she was talking about my body. I was turning around and putting my arms out and she said, "no, we're going to have to examine your hair," and I said, "no, we're not going to do that today and you're going to have to get security or your supervisor.'"



She said the agent who searched her said she was simply doing her job.

Security: Ms Adiele had already gone through the Advance Imaging system - scanners used to detect both metallic and non-metallic items

Ms Adiele recalled: 'The supervisor shows up and she says, "It's our policy that we examine anything that poofs from the body," and I'm looking around me at all these women with bigger hair if you will and I'm thinking "why am I the only one being singled out here for poofy hair?"

'They are required to investigate and examine anything that poofs from the body? That sounds like a bogus policy to me. It just sounds bogus. Poofs?!'



Not wanting to miss her flight to Texas, she allowed the officers to search her hair.



'They put the gloves on and now they're really just digging around in my hair and I'm like, arrgg! Why is this happening?' she recalled.

While the TSA website states 'head coverings' are subject to search, there is no mention of how travellers should wear hair.



Ms Adiele has filed a complaint about the incident but she has yet to hear back from the TSA.