A hairstylist at Draft Picks Barbershop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was fired after cutting off an 11-year-old girl’s braids when her mother refused to pay a $25 late fee. The incident, which escalated into a physical altercation, left the pregnant mother with a hand injury.
According to the family, the mother and daughter arrived for their hair appointment just ten minutes late. “She arrives at 5:10 pm and according to this stylist she has a 10-minute grace period and now states she charges a $25 late penalty after 10 minutes,” the girl’s grandmother wrote in a Facebook post.
The stylist had previously rescheduled the appointment from April 14 to the following day, and the mother had already paid in full for the service.
The stylist proceeded with braiding the girl’s hair, but when the mother declined to pay the late fee, she began cutting off the child’s braids. Surveillance footage shared online showed the stylist forcibly cutting the girl’s hair. The situation turned violent when the mother tried to intervene.
“So my daughter and the young lady share words, and SHE grabs scissors y’all! My daughter is trying to get her daughter and the stylist CUTS my daughter y’all! My daughter is 6 months pregnant!” the grandmother added.
Other customers in the shop eventually intervened to de-escalate the situation. The girl and her mother then left the premises.
Barbershop owner TJ Malveaux confirmed that the stylist had been terminated, stating, “We do not condone or tolerate violence in our establishment.” He apologised to the family and affirmed the salon’s commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all clients.
