Aug. 27, 2008, TDMN, Page 1A (jump)

1. MONA REEDER/Staff Photographer
Joshuah Welch quit his job at the Abercrombie & Fitch at NorthPark Center after he was told to get rid of his blond
highlights. “I need a job where I am appreciated for the work I do, not because I fit into their mold,” he said.
Some see rankings
as an ugly practice
Assessing employees’ looks
Continued from Page 1A
As part of a monthly Abercrombie & Fitch audit, employees are evaluated on whether they
and 5 marked — a mix.
are good looking. An audit obtained by a former employee from Dallas’ NorthPark store is
“It’s so subjective how they
pictured below.
judge you,” said Ms. Carmi-
chael, a 19-year-old brunette 2. Do all MALE models currently working 3. Do all FEMALE models currently
with sharp blue-green eyes and have handsome faces? (0 and 5 circled) working have beautiful faces? (0 circled)
a trim, athletic build, who was
told by one manager that she
wasn’t attractive enough to
work on the floor.
The debate centers on the
ethics of labeling teenage beau-
ty more than on the possibility
of unlawful actions. At issue is
whether it’s morally justifiable
to define an “Abercrombie
look” these days, three years af-
ter a lawsuit settlement forced SOURCE: Dallas Morning News research KYLE ALCOTT/Staff Artist
the retailer to enhance diversi-
ty and amid ongoing debate
about Abercrombie’s market- “It just seems so superficial and kind of stupid. I don’t think I’m the
ing practices, which often in-
most attractive person in the world, but I don’t think I’m so hideous
clude shirtless young men and
wistful-looking women in thin you have to shove me into a back room.”
outer garments.
Todd Corley, Abercrombie’s Kristen Carmichael, who was pulled from a sales position at the NorthPark Center store
vice president of diversity and
inclusion, said the “face” ques-
tions, “Was the person in the ing. A third compliance report
tion refers to the full presenta- Austin before appearing on a
women’s front room attrac- is due at the end of the month.
tion of an individual, not mere- season of the CBS reality show
tive?” and “Was the cashier at- Earlier this month, a civil rights
ly his or her visage. Big Brother.
tractive?” group filed a lawsuit on behalf
The company says it is im- “I thought they had evolved,
These rating systems re- of a Muslim teenager in Okla-
portant to uphold the brand’s but they haven’t,” he said.
main legal as long as they don’t homa who alleged she was de-
image and maintain diversity The company agreed in
discriminate based on race or nied a job because she wears a
in its stores. Some sales repre- 2005 to pay $40 million to a
gender. headscarf.
sentatives are chosen to appear group of Latinos, blacks,
“There’s no real problem to
in posters, ads and other mar- Asians and females who ac-
discriminate against ‘ugly’ peo-
keting materials. cused the company of advanc-
Unintended bias
ple,” said Jahan Sagafi, a part- ing whites at the expense of mi-
ner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann norities. Even physical evaluations
‘Hierarchy of hotness’ & Bernstein, the firm that re- can tread on shaky ground be-
presented the plaintiffs in the
Sales people function as the cause they often unintentional-
Working on diversity
original diversity suit. “The
store’s advertising and are ly discriminate, said Greg Go-
problem is when you define
handpicked by current em- chanour, a lawyer with the
Company representatives
beauty to incorporate white,
ployees, said Joshuah Welch, a Equal Employment Opportu-
say they’re fostering a much
which it essentially does at Ab-
26-year-old Dallas resident, nity Commission and the su-
more diverse and accepting
ercrombie.”
was hired two weeks ago as a pervising trial attorney on the
workplace since the lawsuit,
Ms. Carmichael and Mr.
manager and told to recruit 2005 case.
with about 32 percent of the
Payne are both white and say
people who walked into the He called the rating system
floor staff now either Asian,
they don’t expect legal or finan-
store looking “all-American, “bizarre” and said he hasn’t
black or Latino.
cial compensation. Instead,
clean, wholesome, or the girl or heard of other companies with
Last spring, the company —
they believe their demotion sig-
boy next door.” He said stock- this type of audit.
which has more than 1,000
nifies a disturbingly shallow
ing employees, on the other The streamlined image
stores and 88,000 employees
mentality in youth-focused re-
hand, are told not to speak to book in each store is intended
nationwide — created a new
tail.
customers. to take out bias, said Mr. Corley,
“look book,” a collection of im-
The job is “a cattle call and
“It’s a hierarchy of hotness,” as are partnerships with orga-
ages for managers to refer to
you are hired based on looks,
he said. nizations such as the Anti-Def-
when hiring.
not your ability to fold clothes
Cory Payne thought he amation League. The company
“It’s an array of faces —
or work with people,” Mr.
reached the upper tier when he also is working with George-
black, white, Hispanic,” Mr.
Welch said.
was recruited as a “model,” or town University to establish
Corley said. “It gives a sense of
salesman, at the Dallas store. the country’s first diversity
style, dress. It goes to a whole
Then he found himself in the management program.
standard of appearance.”
Fitting a mold
back storeroom. Ms. Carmichael, who is back
Although the company has
“It wasn’t the job we signed at school in Arizona, said that
hired a diversity coordinator
He just quit his managerial
up for,” said the tall 22-year-old even if the company isn’t tech-
and promoted more minorities
training program at the North-
blond athlete. “We showed up nically violating the law, it’s still
to management positions, it’s
Park store after his bosses told
on time and we felt we were be- sending the wrong message.
unclear to what extent Aber-
him he would have to leave if he
ing punished for being good “It just seems so superficial
crombie has adapted its image.
didn’t get rid of his new blond
employees.” and kind of stupid,” she said. “I
A court-appointed monitor
highlights.
A weekly “secret shopper” don’t think I’m the most attrac-
wrote in his second annual
“I need a job where I am ap-
evaluation posted in the back tive person in the world, but I
compliance report last August
preciated for the work I do, not
room also focuses on appear- don’t think I’m so hideous you
that images of Asians and Lati-
because I fit into their mold,”
ance. Employees receive one have to shove me into a back
nos were “almost entirely ab-
said Mr. Welch, who previously
point for a “yes” to the ques- room.”
sent” in Abercrombie’s market-
worked for Abercrombie in