How A Firefighter Was Fired Over A Tattoo

We sometimes hear about people who find life can be difficult after they get a tattoo. It’s a personal decision whether they want to get one or not, but the consequences can be real.

One person who knows just how much the consequences can sting after getting a tattoo is Kay’Ana Adams. She is a firefighter from Alabama and only nine months after joining the Mobile Fire Department, she was fired.

That was in 2023, and the reason she was fired is because, in June 2022, she got a tattoo that showed on the back of her head. The policy at the department only prohibited tattoos on the face or neck, so she thought she was in the clear. She said: “I figured mine could be done in decency and order. I could also, based on the rules, cover it up.”

Despite the fact that she tried to remain in compliance, a complaint was lodged about the tattoo. She said: “The next thing I knew I was being investigated, interrogated, and then they made their decision that I was in violation of policy.”

Prior to being let go, the department offered a solution. She could grow her hair to cover the tattoo and that is what she did. Within a few weeks, another complaint came in and this time, it was because her hair didn’t meet the standards in the department.

She said: “We have different textures of hair. “So, you have no idea how long it takes for my hair to grow.”

Months after she got her tattoo the department updated its policy and now neck and head tattoos were not permitted. Even though she tried to comply with the rules, even after they changed, the photo was taken of her head by the captain on November 10.

Within hours, she received the news that she was fired.

Kay’Ana said: “Definitely blindsided, I never thought it would come to this, especially considering I was in compliance. I’m not necessarily out here trying to be disobedient… it’s just a tattoo. What’s behind me shouldn’t affect the work that’s in front of me.

“I really enjoy being a firefighter. So, I guess that’s the saddest part is that, you know, I really liked what I was doing.”

Public Safety Director Lawrence Battiste confirmed the fact that she was fired in a written statement. The reason given was that she failed to meet the standards of the department.

This was a very difficult thing for Kay’Ana. The tattoo was more than just ink on her body, it held a very important message.

She said: “My tattoos are an extension of who I am as a person. If I had known I was violating their policy, I would have never done it.

“For me to still become a firefighter and to have scoliosis, I got the tattoo to kind of tell myself and tell other people that asked me about it, you can still achieve certain goals regardless of the obstacles that are in front of you.”

Kay’Ana feels that there was more to the firing than just having a tattoo. She said that the fact that she often spoke out about issues in the workplace played a role in it as well.

Two male firefighters had made some sexist comments and she raised concerns about it. Some others had joked about tying nooses during a training session, and she said: “I just kind of stood up and said, ‘you know, if you want to learn how to do that, I think that it’s best you do that on your free time.”

The situation only got worse as she continued to speak up for what she believed. Two of the captains in the department, Jason Craig and Rodrick Shoots were in her corner.

As a result, Craig received a 30-day suspension and Shoots was fired for trying to block an order from a superior.

Battiste said that Shoots was dismissed for using disrespectful language and obstructing orders and Craig was punished for not reviewing policy violations and insubordination.