A Prince George’s County, Maryland hairstylist, Jayla Cunningham, faces serious legal repercussions following an incident involving a 15-year-old client. The situation escalated over a payment dispute, leading to a viral video that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.
According to reports from FOX5DC, the conflict arose when the teenager allegedly attempted to leave the salon without paying for a $150 service that included hair extensions. In a shocking turn of events, Cunningham is on video dragging the girl back into the salon by her black hoodie and reportedly cutting the “install” out of her hair with scissors.
In the disturbing video, you hear Cunningham making threatening remarks, stating, “Sit right here until somebody sends it. I’m not f***** playing. You just tried to f***** run. You lucky I ain’t beat the s*** out you.” This aggressive behavior has led to Cunningham being charged with second-degree assault, and she is scheduled to appear in court on April 18.
“Forget trash, she ran without paying me. 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.” Cunningham explained to FOX5DC. She justified her actions by claiming that she felt compelled to prevent the girl from leaving without payment.
“I feel like if I didn’t do that, she would have been gone,” the stylist continued, “and I would have just never been paid.”
The mother of the 15-year-old girl has spoken out about the traumatic experience her daughter endured. She reported that her daughter is struggling emotionally after the incident and has filed a police report against Cunningham. The mother explained that her daughter had mistakenly sent the payment to the wrong CashApp account while trying to resolve the payment issue.
To seek justice, the family has enlisted the help of attorney De’Aja Thompson from Jackson and Associates law firm. Thompson expressed her outrage, stating,
“The video is horrendous. It’s a 15-year-old girl. We’re talking about someone’s child here — a child who is being dragged across a salon floor for something as simple as a mistake.”
The assault has ignited a firestorm of reactions on social media platforms, particularly on Instagram. Users have expressed their opinions on the matter, with many condemning Cunningham’s actions. Some notable comments include:
- @__realestate2: “Any Hairstylist that would do that to a client clearly doesn’t have a state license!”
- @fjsdabest: “She got what she deserved. Tired of adults thinking it’s ok to put hands on folks whenever.”
- @bxby.sharissa: “Idc what anyone says the hairstylist was in the wrong.”
- @eliyajoelle: “That wasn’t no ‘simple mistake’ she knew exactly what she was doing when she ran.”
- @43jaay: “If she was in the right, charges would’ve never been filed lol. You can’t justify dragging a 15-year-old in any situation.”
- @_damnjenniferr: “If you think the hairstylist is wrong, you go stand for hours at work and not get paid.”
- @milliemucho: “Ppl do you wrong, then when you crash out, they play victim.”
- @prettyass.angel: “Regardless of whatever happened, she shouldn’t have put her hands on her period! She could have simply called the police.”
This violent response raises significant questions about the appropriate ways to handle disputes in service industries, mainly when minors are involved. As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to how this case will impact the community and the broader conversation around violence and accountability in customer service interactions.
When asked about the video, the teen’s mom says, “It’s just absolutely absurd. It’s viral. It’s all over the country.”
Cunningham has received threats and reportedly has moved into another salon.
