In-N-Out Burger Being Sued for $3.2 Million

In-N-Out Burger is packed seemingly every day with guests wanting a burger with fresh fries in a very limited (albeit popular) menu. 

As of March 2025, In-N-Out has 418 locations across the United States. Most are in California and the West Coast, but the company has started to venture out to Texas as well. 

Unfortunately, In-N-Out is being sued for a whopping $3.2 million by one former employee, and the reason is because of his hairstyle, per Annie Goodykoontz of The Los Angeles Times. 

"In-N-Out Burger is being sued for at least $3 million by a former employee for alleged racial discrimination involving the employee’s hairstyle, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court filing," the report stated. 

"According to the suit, 21-year-old Elijah Obeng, who is Black, said he experienced severe emotional distress after he was unfairly targeted by the burger chain’s dress code. The dress code requires its employees to wear company-issued hats with their hair tucked in, and male employees must be clean-shaven, the lawsuit says."

Obeng worked at the Compton In-N-Out store for nearly four years, and the report stated that the company took exception to his hairstyle and his sideburns with him even being sent home in May 2024 to shave his sideburns. 

Based on Obeng's lawsuit, the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN Act) is what the company is in violation of, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their hairstyles and hair textures. The former employee's experience caused him “anxiety, humiliation, and loss of dignity,” per the lawsuit.

Moreover, In-N-Out responded and said that it was due to prior write-ups, but Obeng believes it was a discriminatory act resulting in his resistance against the dress code policy.

From a financial aspect, a $3.2 million lawsuit is a small number compared to the $2 billion per year the company brings in, but dealing with this will likely bring negative attention to the well-known burger joint. 

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