The Transportation Security Administration will 'enhance ' officer training for hair pat-downs after complaints that African-American women were being racially targeted for unnecessary screenings . New training will commence at Los Angeles International Airport , one of the airports named in the complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union . The complaint was filed on behalf of Malaika Singleton , who said she was subjected to a hair pat-down with weeks of each other while traveling from Los Angeles to London in December 2013 . The Transportation Security Administration will 'enhance ' officer training for hair pat-downs after complaints that African-American women were being racially targeted for unnecessary screenings ( file photo ) According to an ACLU statement , TSA agents grabbed Singleton 's hair , which was styled in tightly-wound 'sisterlocks , ' and proceeded to 'squeeze it from top to bottom ' at LAX airport . Singleton 's hair was patted down again two weeks later during a layover at Minneapolis International Airport and , once again , nothing was found . New training will commence at Los Angeles International Airport , one of the airports named in the complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union . 'The humiliating experience on countless black women who are routinely targeted for hair pat-downs because their hair is `` different '' is not only wrong , but also a great misuse of TSA agents ' time and resources , ' Novella Coleman , Singleton 's ACLU attorney , said in a statement . In a letter sent to Coleman , the TSA said the re-training will stress 'race neutrality ' , and that a special emphasis will be placed on the 'hair patdowns of African-American female travelers ' . TSA said the administration will also track of pat-down complaints filed by African-American women throughout the country to 'assess whether a discriminatory impact may be occurring at a specific ' airport , according to the letter posted by Buzzfeed . This is not the first time TSA 's pat-down policy has come under harsh light . Solange Knowles claimed in 2012 she was racially profiled while going through security at Miami airport , dubbing it 'Discrim-FRO-nation ' because she wears her hair in the Afro style . 'My hair is not a storage drawer , ' she tweeted . An agency spokesman later told CNN that the 'advanced imaging technology machine ' only shows 'an outline of an individual ' that was 'the same for every single person ' . 'If the hair area is highlighted , the machine may have picked up an anomaly or a possible threat in the head area ' , such as bobby pins , hair and extension clips , or head wraps . Solange Knowles claimed in 2012 she was racially profiled while going through security at Miami airport , dubbing it 'Discrim-FRO-nation ' because she wears her hair in the Afro style . But ACLU said it was these kinds of 'subjective rules ' that made the agency more susceptible to 'unconsciously interpret the circumstances in a way that is consistent with racial stereotypes ' . In a statement released Friday , the TSA said they do not tolerate racial profiling , according to The Hill . 'Not only is racial profiling prohibited under DHS and agency policy , but it is also an ineffective security tactic . ' Coleman told the Huffington Post she will be looking for 'clear and objective guidelines ' from the TSA when she attends the LAX training later this month .
TSA agreed to make changes after ACLU filed official complaint . Training will begin at Minneapolis International Airport . TSA also told ACLU the new training will stress 'race neutrality ' and will emphasize 'hair pat-downs of African-American female travelers ' Agency said they will also track down pat-down complaints filed by African-American women to assess if discrimination is occurring at specific airports . In 2012 Solange Knowles claimed she had been racially targeted for a pat-down because she wore her hair in the Afro style .