Dolce Law in the News: Smith v. Ulta Beauty Discrimination Case Covered by The New York Times and WNYC/Gothamist
Dolce Law PLLC’s federal civil rights lawsuit against Ulta Beauty, Inc. has been featured in two major media outlets — first by WNYC/Gothamist on March 17, 2026, and most recently by The New York Times on April 4, 2026. The case, filed on behalf of Lauren Smith and her seven-year-old daughter, has drawn national attention to the intersection of hair texture discrimination, the CROWN Act, and the rights of Black consumers in places of public accommodation.
The New York Times
On April 4, 2026, reporter Skylar Mitchell published “She Wanted Her Hair Done for a Special Day. She Left the Salon in Tears” in The New York Times. The story details how Ms. Smith and her daughter arrived at Ulta Beauty’s 86th Street Manhattan location for confirmed hair appointments before a professional photoshoot, only to be told the stylist was “not comfortable” with their “texture of hair.” Both plaintiffs were wearing hats that completely concealed their hair. No employee asked to see or examine their hair at any point during the encounter.
The Times piece places the case within a broader industry context, noting that people with textured hair have long struggled to find stylists trained and willing to serve them. The story also references New York State’s 2024 cosmetology licensing law, which now requires all licensed stylists to be trained and competent to service all hair types — a statutory mandate that renders Ulta’s refusal not only discriminatory but a violation of state law.
Read the full New York Times story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/nyregion/ulta-harlem-nyc-civil-rights-black-hair.html
WNYC / Gothamist
The case was first covered by Arun Venugopal, Senior Reporter in the WNYC Race & Justice Unit, on March 17, 2026. His story, “NYC Salon Sued After Allegedly Telling Black Patrons It Doesn’t Do Their ‘Kind of Hair’” was published on Gothamist and distributed through WNYC. Venugopal’s reporting accurately captured the key facts of the Complaint, including the detail that both plaintiffs were wearing hats throughout the encounter, and the legal framework underpinning the claims.
Read the full Gothamist story here: https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-salon-sued-after-allegedly-telling-black-patrons-it-doesnt-do-their-kind-of-hair
About the Case
On July 6, 2025, Lauren Smith and her seven-year-old daughter arrived at Ulta Beauty’s location at 188 East 86th Street in Manhattan for confirmed hair styling appointments before a 3:00 PM professional photoshoot. After waiting approximately ten minutes, an employee informed them that their assigned stylist would not be doing their hair. The stated reason, confirmed by the store manager, was that the stylist was “not comfortable” with their “texture of hair.”
Both Ms. Smith and her daughter were wearing hats that completely concealed their hair throughout the encounter. No employee ever asked to see, examine, or inquire about their hair. The manager declined to provide alternative stylists, refused to call in additional staff, and offered no accommodation that would allow them to make their photoshoot.
Ms. Smith’s daughter left the store in tears, asking what was wrong with her hair and why she couldn’t go somewhere that had “brown girls on the walls” — a reference to the diverse models featured in Ulta’s own in-store advertising.
The lawsuit, filed March 11, 2026 in the Southern District of New York, asserts claims under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the New York State Human Rights Law — which expressly defines race to include hair texture under New York’s CROWN Act — and the New York City Human Rights Law. Plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief including mandatory anti-discrimination training at all Ulta New York locations.
Have You Experienced Something Similar at Ulta Beauty?
If you or someone you know has been refused service, racially profiled, or treated differently than other customers at an Ulta Beauty location — in New York or elsewhere — your account may be relevant to this litigation. Please contact Dolce Law PLLC at 718-571-9162 or info@dolcelaw.com. All communications are confidential.
