SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego hairstylist is suing Governor Gavin Newsom over closures of indoor salons. It comes even after a revised order that allows them to operate outside.
Amy Mullins-Boychack doesn’t take just any client.
“They might have to pace for 15 minutes before they can regulate their anxiety to get a hair cut,” she said.
She’s been cutting hair for children with special needs at her salon “THAIRapy” for eight years. Under restrictions from the state, salons are only allowed to operate outdoors.
She says that’s not an option with her clients.
“I have clients that don’t have impulse control,” said Mullins-Boychack. “They don’t have the ability to just sit anywhere and get a hair cut.”
So she joined a lawsuit filed against the governor in March. The plaintiff, JD Bols, is a landlord to several churches and beauty salons in San Diego.
The lawsuit also names Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Sheriff Bill Gore, and the County Board of Supervisors as defendants. It claims the pandemic-related restrictions violate civil rights and have financially crippled businesses deemed non-essential.
“This isn’t about vanity," says Mullins-Boychack. “This is a life skill for them, this is routine, this is repetition, this is part of their livelihood, part of their social skills.”
In addition to the lawsuit, she’s working to get an exemption from the governor to continue her business indoors.