Update: Dallas salon ordered to close after reopening in defiance of coronavirus
A Dallas salon that reopened last week despite not being an “essential business” during the coronavirus pandemic has been ordered to close immediately by a state district judge, according to multiple reports.
Judge Eric Moye issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday against the Salon A La Mode in Dallas and owner Shelly Luther for violating city, county and state mandates, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Court records show the salon is ordered to remain closed until May 12, according to CBS DFW.
“Attorneys for the City of Dallas argued that if the salon wasn’t shut down immediately, local residents ‘will suffer irreparable injury,’” CBS DFW reported. “The city stated that if Luther’s salon continues to operate people could face ‘irreparable injury’ because COVID-19 is easily transmitted.”
On Friday, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins sent Luther a cease and desist letter, ordering the closure of her salon. Luther ended ripping the letter up 24 hours later.
Luther also received a $1,000 ticket that she’s refusing to pay, according to CBS DFW.
Luther told WBAP radio last week that she’s been struggling to pay her bills amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s when she made the decision to reopen her shop despite strict stay-at-home orders still in place for non-essential businesses.
“I’m having to make a decision on whether to pay for my mortgage or to pay the salon lease,” she said. “I chose to pay the salon lease because my nineteen stylists are more important.”
On Friday, Luther opened her salon doors to customers at 9 a.m.
Some supporters who had gathered outside the salon to show their support “were carrying guns while Luther welcomed customers into the salon,” according to a report from WFAA Channel 8. Luther had security guards at both doors of the shop to manage the flow of customers, who were required to wear masks, the TV station reported.
Dallas police arrived on the scene after receiving multiple calls complaining about social distancing violations in front of the salon. Officers and Dallas Fire-Rescue came and went multiple times until 1 p.m., when police issued Luther a citation, WFAA reported.
North Texas has almost 7.000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including more than 3,200 in Dallas County, which on Tuesday reported its most confirmed cases in one day with 135, and 10 deaths.
Protests have been happening all over the country of people defying the “stay-at-home” state orders in an effort to reopen the country. But most Americans oppose the protests and are worried that lifting the restrictions could result in a spike of new coronavirus cases, polls show.
In Fort Worth, some businesses like PR’s Saloon and Basement Bar are planning on opening May 1 to “stand up for freedoms,” according a Facebook post. And they’re not the only ones looking to do this in the North Texas area, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Luther also told WBAP that she had applied for federal small business loans, but was denied, and hasn’t received her stimulus check yet.
“I have received zero income from the government and I applied the first days possible that we were allowed to,” according to the radio station.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Update: Dallas salon ordered to close after reopening in defiance of coronavirus."