p.s. Also, I live in a non-US country in an area with VERY few Black women of African ancestry with natural curly hair - the few Black women who live in my area mainly have straightened hair, braids/plaits, or wear hijab/other religious hair coverings.

and nonetheless I learned many many years ago from books, short stories, and the internet that it is NEVER okay to touch a Black woman's hair without asking

and that even ASKING to touch a Black woman's hair is an aggression unless you are very close friends/dating

This man, who it sounds like is living in the US? He has NO excuse for being ignorant of this, which means it was an act of malicious indifference...