Black Woman Sues Rutherford Wax Service For Racial Discrimination

RUTHERFORD, NJ — A Black woman has sued a Rutherford hair removal service, her former employer, over alleged racial discrimination, and is seeking at least $250,000 in compensatory damages, according to a lawsuit filed on June 7.

Amira Smith, a former sales associate at European Wax Center, is seeking relief to address alleged violations of state discrimination and labor laws, the lawsuit claims.

"I want to see the store thrive," Smith said in a text message to her supervisor that was included in the suit, "but it's like I'm feeling purposely discriminated towards."

Smith noticed, the suit said, not long after she started working there in June 2020, that she was not being scheduled the same number of hours as a white employee who started the same time as her. She was also being paid less than the employee "despite her not having any prior experience that would warrant her being paid more than Smith."

"It's uncomfortable that (the other employee) gets paid more than me, and nothing really happened about it," Smith said in another text to her supervisor. "It's just making me feel very uncomfortable."

She was also, the suit said, unlawfully fired from the job on April 13, 2021, when she was wrongly accused by her supervisor, who is white, of violating a non-compete agreement in the employee handbook through an eyelash side business. The suit said the accusations were "ludicrous" and that the handbook did not prohibit the business. Smith even offered to stop the work, though she was still fired.

Also, the suit said, Smith was not paid for all time worked during her employment. Although the company eventually increased her pay to match that of the other employee who started the same time as her, she claims she was still shorted commission pay.

As a result of the actions of her former employer, the suit said, Smith has suffered "mental anguish, physical discomfort, pain and suffering, shame and embarrassment." She has also suffered "lost wages, a diminished ability to earn a living and a diminished capacity to enjoy life."

Smith, the suit added, is demanding a trial by jury.

European Wax Center declined to comment.