Black folks have a lot to say about the Maryland hairstylist who went viral for dragging a teen client across a salon floor during a March 2 incident. Jayla Cunningham, 18, is now facing a second-degree assault charge.
In a clip of the altercation, Cunningham tells her 15-year-old client, “Sit right here until somebody sends it,” evidently referencing the money for the appointment.
“I’m not f***ing playing. You just tried to f***ing run. You lucky I ain’t beat the s**t out you,” Cunningham says. The video also showed Cunningham cutting the weave she had installed out of the teen’s hair.
One X user, @JennyWHOA, defended Cunningham. “Y’all are adultifying and condemning Jayla because she’s the bigger and darker between the 2 of them,” she wrote. “She is EIGHTEEN years old.”
The teen’s mom told local outlet Fox 5 that her daughter accidentally sent the money to the wrong account and was trying to figure out how to fix it. She has since filed a charge against Cunningham. However, Cunningham insisted that the girl was trying to get out of her $150 bill.
“Forget trash, she ran without paying me,” Cunningham said. “I dragged her by her hood back into the salon until I could get paid or, you know, until the police come or until, you know, she let me take out the service, because it’s like she literally ran outside, like she was about to be gone.”
Another X user stated that Cunningham went way too far. “Anybody defending that unprofessional a** hairstylist dragging a 15year old you’re weird. like idc if she “ran off” , call the cops. what professional is dragging clients..” @aaliyahhmarchee remarked.
The client’s family has since hired Jackson and Associates, a law firm in Upper Marlboro, to represent the teen. Attorney De’Aja Thompson called the video of the alleged assault “horrendous.”
“It’s a 15-year-old girl. We’re talking about someone’s child here,” Thompson said. “A child who is being dragged across a salon floor by her jacket over something as simple as a mistake.”
Social media personality @NIYHNDRX quipped that this all could have been avoided. “She had a card on file that she could’ve charged after the girl said she didn’t have the money so idk it’s giving the stylist didn’t think before taking action at all,” they stated.
Cunningham has a summons to appear in court on April 18.