A Montreal woman with curly hair says airport security searched her locks several times during the trip for no apparent reason.
Christine Rodriguez says she travels regularly for work, but claims her hair has been searched three times at various airports in Canada in the past month and a half.
She says that at first she didn’t do much.
“It was the first time in my life I was asked ‘Okay, we need to check your hair and I’m fine… and I laughed,'” Rodriguez says.
The third time this happened, it was no laughing matter.
“I said, ‘Well, this is ridiculous,’ I was a little upset,” Rodriguez explained.
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That’s when she says she’s decided to file a complaint with CATSA, Canada’s air transportation safety agency.
Rodriguez says he was searched at Calgary, Toronto and Montreal airports.
She says the searches always took place after going through a body scanner at security, while she was wearing a ponytail.
“It’s absurd in the first place, because I can’t hide anything in my hair,” Rodriguez said.
They believe the practice is discriminatory and triggering, as there is a history of discrimination or unwanted touching for people with curly hair.
“So the whole idea of people with Afro hair touching up their hair becomes a very sensitive issue and in this instance, it doesn’t seem necessary,” Rodriguez explained.
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Rodriguez wants Catsa to provide more sensitivity training to its employees.
The Center for Research-Action on Race Relations agrees.
“Black women’s hair has always been considered problematic, unprofessional, involuntary and therefore not very commercialized by many authorities,” Niemi said. “We have had cases in the past when the hair of black women has become an issue in the eyes of employers and in the eyes of security officials.”
Niamey recommends anyone who is subjected to being patted at a Canadian airport because of their hair and finds it discriminatory, file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Canada, noting that CATSA is under federal jurisdiction.
“It is a matter of coming up with ways and means to protect one’s human rights, especially when one feels that the finding is intrusive and biased, but through complaints and remedies to prevent the situation from happening again in the near future.” is demanding,” added Niemi.
Meanwhile, CATSA claims they have not received Rodriguez’s complaint and cannot launch an investigation without it.
He says he’s received five other complaints related to pat downs in the past two years, when a man’s hairstyle sounded the alarm on a full body scanner.
CATSA spokeswoman Suzanne Persio wrote, “In the event that a passenger sounds an alarm during the full body scan process, the alarm must be resolved before the passenger is allowed through the security check.” “There are many options available to passengers, a private search. For security reasons, we cannot comment on dangerous items found during the screening process.
Persio said that when an issue is identified, they work to examine and review the passenger’s screening process and ensure that procedures are being followed and, if necessary, to the screening staff. Additional training is provided.
As for Rodriguez, she says she is traveling again this weekend and is worried she will be rediscovered.
“I think I will continue to file complaints every time this happens,” Rodriguez said.
She says the goal is to make sure it doesn’t happen to her or others again.
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