A Louisiana hairstylist attempted to cut off a child’s newly installed braids after her mother refused to pay a late fee.
Conchota Singleton wrote on Facebook that her 11-year-old granddaughter was scheduled to get her hair done at the Draft Picks barbershop in Baton Rouge on April 14, but the stylist canceled and asked to reschedule the appointment for the following day.
According to Singleton, the girl and her mother arrived 10 minutes late for their new appointment the following day.
The stylist’s policy states that any client who is more than 10 minutes late for their appointment will be charged a $25 late fee.
“My daughter responded, ‘Well, your grace period states that I’m late after ten minutes. “I arrived at 5:10.” Singleton informed WBRZ.
Singleton stated that her daughter had already paid for the style in advance, and the stylist proceeded to braid the girl’s hair, but the situation deteriorated when the mother refused to pay the late fee.
Surveillance video captured the hairstylist grabbing a pair of scissors with one hand and the girl’s braids with the other, then attempting to cut the braids off.
The girl’s mother steps in, arguing with the stylist to keep her daughter’s style. The footage shows her and the stylist tugging at the child’s braids, both attempting to gain control.
The girl was yanked out of the chair during the struggle. The confrontation ended when a barber and another client intervened to separate the stylist and the mother.
“My breath caught. “When you see it, I’m like ‘Oh my God,'” Singleton said of her reaction to the video. “You just don’t know what’s gonna happen next because I don’t know what her intent is at this point.”
The girl’s braids remained intact, but the scissors sliced her mother’s hand during the altercation. Baton Rouge police were called to the shop, but Singleton claimed, “They did nothing.” There were no criminal charges filed.
“They told me that there was no intent, that she was not trying to cut my daughter’s hand, but my issue is once she picked up scissors, she became a threat,” Mr. Singleton said.
Singleton stated that her 6-month-pregnant daughter was traumatized by the event. She and her family intend to file criminal charges with the district attorney’s office.
“First, you canceled the initial appointment. Two, you used scissors on a child’s head, regardless of your intention. “You picked up the scissors,” Singleton said. “That does not make sense to me.” … You have no right to cut the child’s hairstyle. There are options for dealing with the situation. You cannot take the law into your own hands.
Draft Picks Barbershop issued a statement apologizing to Singleton’s family and informing WBRZ that the stylist had been fired.
“We extend our sincere apologies to the client and family affected, as well as anyone who may be concerned as a result of this situation,” Draft Picks Owner TJ Malveaux said. “This incident does not represent the values or standards that we uphold at Draft Picks.
We are taking immediate action to review and strengthen our policies, as well as provide additional staff training, to ensure that every client feels safe, respected, and welcome in our chairs.”
In a similar case, a Maryland hairstylist was charged with second-degree assault in March after a surveillance video surfaced showing the stylist dragging her 15-year-old client by her hair through the salon for failing to pay the $150 service fee. The stylist also cut the teen’s newly installed weave with scissors.