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Destiny Tompkins, 19, who worked at the store less than a month, says she was told her hair was "too urban" and "unkempt."
Tompkins, a sophomore at SUNY Purchase, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the manager called her into the office to discuss her hair after a district manager visited the store.
"In that moment, I felt so uncomfortable and overwhelmed that I didn’t even finish my work shift and ended up leaving," she wrote in the post.
Thompkins, who was working at the store to pay her way through college, told WABC 7 she couldn't believe a white, male manager would attack her hairstyle.
The aspiring filmmaker quit that afternoon but told WABC 7 the main reason she posted the interaction on Facebook was for people to understand that the reason she was offended was that he was telling her she was too black to work there.
When contacted, the company originally said an investigation was underway, but on Sunday, company spokesperson Sheikina Liverpool emailed WABC 7 saying the manager had been fired.
"This week, one of our store managers questioned an African American employee's braided hair style," Liverpool wrote. "Our team began an immediate investigation and the manager involved was promptly removed from the store. Today we concluded the investigation and can confirm that the manager has been terminated from the company. Banana Republic has zero tolerance for discrimination. This situation was completely unacceptable, counter to our policies, and in no way reflects our company's beliefs and values."
Tompkins said she is considering legal action.
Click here to read the WABC 7 story.
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