While tattoos and body piercings have become more mainstream, they still cause some to blanche. And where there’s blanching, there may also be some employment discrimination. A few years ago, Texas A&M business professor Brian Elzweig reported that discrimination in employment decisions based on tattooing and body piercing was actually not illegal.
According to what Elzweig wrote, courts have consistently rejected public employees’ constitutional claims, the most common of which is that the tattoo or piercing is protected by the First Amendment (freedom of speech or expression). Tattoos and piercings are considered to be alterable; therefore, they do not automatically receive any special legal protection, the article said.
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Beth Duncan says she sees growing acceptance of tattoos in her home state of Texas. “There was a time when you never saw a tattoo or piercing but it is becoming more commonplace.”
Gilda Cobretti says tattoos are “no big deal anymore.” Rae Ann Nolan says, “I prefer them covered but I can deal.”
