Executive Director Fired From New Job After Just 9 Days for Wearing Cornrows at Burning Man

A new job at a Baltimore arts group ended almost as fast as it began, and it all came down to a hairstyle.

Kelly Carnes was let go as executive director of the Baltimore Rock Opera Society on Wednesday, September 23, after a video showed her wearing cornrows, according to the New York Post, in a report published on Thursday, October 1. The outlet cited an email to volunteers that was obtained by The Baltimore Banner.

Carnes had only just started in the role. The group, known as BROS, announced her hiring on Instagram on September 14. The caption read; “The Baltimore Rock Opera Society is proud to welcome to the main stage its new Executive Director: Kelly “AWOL” Carnes.”

It concluded, “BROS is excited for the new stories about to unfold under AWOL’s leadership as she supports us in our 7,000 year mission of incredible rock theater.”

Things changed quickly. According to the New York Post, Carnes had braided her hair at Burning Man, the nine-day festival in Nevada, as a “protective style” against the desert dust. The controversy began after she kept the hairstyle and appeared with it in a BROS video posted on social media. The video sparked backlash and was later taken down.

The BROS board met on Tuesday, September 22, and Carnes was out the next day, the outlet reported.

Carnes confirmed she had been fired in a statement, per the report. She said she was surprised that a group claiming to celebrate creative freedom would judge how she looked.

“That is the same context I shared with BROS when concerns about my appearance were raised,” she wrote in an email, the outlet reported. “I was also clear that I was willing to listen and speak directly with anyone who was genuinely confused or concerned.”

Carnes indicated the dispute may not be over.

“I believe the circumstances surrounding my termination raise serious questions about discrimination, governance, and whether the values BROS presents publicly are actually extended to the people it employs,” she wrote, per the report. “I am exploring those issues with counsel.”

According to Cat Litten, the group’s marketing and communications representative, BROS is now focused on internal changes aimed at improving the experience for its community and volunteers, per the report.