A self-proclaimed ‘urban shaman’ with a massive face tattoo is suing a convenience store chain for $50,000 after they rescinded his desperately-needed job offer.
Christopher La Caze, whose LinkedIn profile indicates We/Us as preferred pronouns, has launched a lawsuit against retail giant Jacksons Food Stores.
He took legal action against the company after they allegedly withdrew a job offer over a dramatic tattoo inked across La Caze’s face.
The tattoo, a celtic knot image that span across both cheeks and the bridge of the nose, is displayed proudly in his LinkedIn photo online.
In court documents filed in Multnomah County obtained by Oregon Live, La Caze claims the tattoos are a representation of animism, an ancient belief system that teaches all things – including plants, animals and even rocks – possess a spirit or soul.
The employment dispute erupted after La Caze interviewed for a cashier position at one of the chain’s numerous locations in Multnomah County, Oregon.
According to the lawsuit, what should have been the start to a career quickly took a turn when a hiring manager’s initial job offer was withdrawn.
Christopher La Caze, a self-proclaimed ‘urban shaman’ with massive face tattoo is suing a convenience store chain for $50,000 after they rescinded his desperately-needed job offer, claiming they discriminated against his religious beliefs
Pictured: La Caze before he received his facial tattoo
Court papers revealed the manager insisted La Caze would need to file for a religious exemption due to the prominent facial tattoo.
But La Caze claimed they later backtracked completely, claiming the bold creative choice made employment at the store impossible.
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When pressed about the religious exemption application, La Caze alleged a company employee ‘would not talk about it’ before abruptly ending the call.
Shane Wright, speaking on behalf of Jacksons Food Stores, declined to address La Caze’s specific allegations, due to ongoing litigation.
But he was quick to defend the company’s inclusive stance.
‘However, we are proud of the fact that our company is steadfast in its commitment to offering accommodations to anyone with religious beliefs,’ Wright wrote in an email to Oregon Live.
The Idaho-based retail giant, which operates more than 300 stores across the western United States including 33 in the Portland area, maintains a policy requiring employees with face or head tattoos to cover them while working.
The company says this can be achieved through makeup, face masks or ‘another accessory.’
In court documents filed in Multnomah County obtained by Oregon Live, La Caze claims the tattoos are a representation of animism – an ancient belief system that teaches all things, including plants, animals and even rocks, possess a spirit or soul
La Caze previously worked in Growhouse Operations for Belladonna Growhouse
Wright emphasized that the chain currently employs several workers with facial tattoos across multiple states.
He claimed that they’re willing to work with staff when it’s too difficult to cover the tattoo entirely.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month by La Caze’s Portland-based attorney Marc Schworm, seeks damages for both lost wages and emotional distress.
La Caze’s job background in the cannabis industry, which includes a position in Growhouse Operations at Belladonna Growhouse, is seemingly described in his LinkedIn bio as a journey from ‘closets with a couple plants to warehouses with thousands.’
His profile highlights his transformation from ‘plant’ cultivator to spiritual guide.
‘Decades of construction, which helped with buildouts. Grown in it all…. Literally,’ he wrote in his bio.
‘Became passionate for the extraction process and the purity that should be standard. I was making it and I was smoking it, driving me to be as efficient as possible without sacrificing ANY purity.’
‘I later discovered the healing properties of psychedelic plants and the power they give to save ourselves from ourselves. I am currently answering the strangest calling I have ever been drawn to – acting as Shaman and urban healer to my community.’
The Idaho-based retail giant, which operates more than 300 stores across the western United States including 33 in the Portland area, maintains a policy requiring employees with face or head tattoos to cover them while working
La Caze’s job background in the cannabis industry, which includes a position in Growhouse Operations at Belladonna Growhouse, is seemingly described in his LinkedIn bio as a journey from ‘closets with a couple plants to warehouses with thousands.’
‘I look forward to meeting you and enriching your perception of existence!’
In 2016, researchers found that having tattoos can actually increase a candidate’s chance at employment.
The study claimed body art could help to convey an organization’s image, especially for those geared toward younger customers.