Dallas hair salon owner Shelley Luther received multiple temporary restraining orders after refusing to close her business and defying state, county, and city orders, the Daily Mail reports.
In an April 20 Facebook post, Luther wrote that she planned to reopen her salon, Salon À la Mode, on April 24 and that she would sanitize and “set up the workplace.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released his plan to reopen Texas this week, which allows retail stores, malls, movie theaters, and restaurants to open with capacity limited to 25%, the Texas Tribune reports.
Salons and barbershops were set to open as early as May 18, per Texas Tribune, but Luther said salons should open sooner.
Luther said that it is her constitutional right to provide for her family and for her stylists to do the same, according to an April 21 Facebook post. She said she planned to follow COVID-19 guidelines and required anyone entering the salon to wear a face mask.
After opening her salon on April 24, Luther received a cease and desist letter to close her business and was issued a $1,000 citation, the Daily Mail reports.
Luther received restraining orders on Tuesday and Wednesday but continued to defy legal actions, per the Daily Mail.
In a Facebook Live Wednesday, Luther said she will likely be arrested soon but reiterated that opening her business is her constitutional right. She said staying closed put her behind on her mortgage.
“To maintain just my house payment and the salon payment monthly is almost $8,000,” Luther said. “May 1st will be two months behind on mortgage.”
In a Monday Facebook post, Luther wrote that Abbott reached out to her and is helping her “get salons open sooner.”
Since promising to reopen her salon, Luther gained a supportive following who continue to rally and support her efforts to stay open.
“I’m not anyone special,” Luther said at a rally on Saturday. “I just know that I have rights, you have rights to feed your children and make income and anyone who wants to take away those rights is wrong.”
At the end of the rally, Luther yelled “come and get it, I will not shut my salon” and audience members chanted “come and get it” until the end of the stream.
A GoFundMe for Salon À la Mode, created by Rick Hire, has raised over $18,000.
Luther, who did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment, said the money will be used to pay her attorneys and that she still needs to reopen her business to be financially stable.
Although many rallied behind the salon owner in Dallas, people are criticizing Luther online for her actions.
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