Beauty Professionals Sue Gov. Gavin Newsom – WWD
The Professional Beauty Federation of California, a nonprofit created in 1999 and representing more than 620,000 licensed beauty professionals and 53,000 barbers in the state, is suing Gov. Gavin Newsom, the association said today.
The organization has teamed with a group of California-based restaurants that unified to file a lawsuit days before Christmas, explained Fred Jones, the group’s lobbyist and legal counsel. Just like restaurants, which are restricted to takeout only, beauty and barber establishments with COVID-19 safety measures in place are looking to reopen immediately and permanently, as well as receive financial relief. Businesses are accumulating debt, and many are closing their doors for good.
“Some Los Angeles-area restaurants retained [lead counsel and L.A.-based attorney] Mark Geragos…to file suit,” Jones told WWD. “Then in speaking with Mark, because I’ve known him for a long time, he decided, ‘Hey, some of the arguments that salons have are even stronger and given the fact that salons and restaurants are taking the brunt of this, why don’t we combine forces.’ So yesterday, he amended his existing lawsuit that was filed right before Christmas to include our industry, hair, skin and nails.”
The organization’s campaign to reopen salons has been supported by companies