‘Feeding my kids isn’t selfish.’ Watch Dallas salon owner speak out about her arrest

A defiant Dallas salon owner was sentenced to a week in jail after a judge ruled her in contempt of court for refusing to close her business as the coronavirus pandemic surged, according to media reports.

Shelly Luther was also fined $7,000 by state district Judge Eric Moyé, according to CBSDFW.com.

Luther, who owns Salon à la Mode, refused to close her business, despite receiving cease and desist letters from Dallas County and getting hit with a temporary restraining order, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Her “non-essential” business had been forced to close in late March under county and state stay-at-home orders, but she defied those order when she reopened on April 24, going as far to tear up up a cease-and-desist letter from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, according to Dallas Morning News.

Some Texas businesses were allowed to open late last week under Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening plan, but salons were not included. Still, she kept her salon open, sometimes with armed supporters outside, McClatchy News reported.

During the court hearing, Moyé informed Luther that he would consider not giving her jail time if she had admitted she was in the wrong when reopening her salon, that she was selfish for doing so, and that she should apologize to the elected officials whose orders she deliberately violated.

Luther refused.

“I have much respect for this court and laws,” Luther respond via phone to the judge. “I have never been in this position before and it’s not someplace that I want to be. But I have to disagree with you sir, when you say that I’m selfish because feeding my kids — is not selfish. I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they’d rather feed their kids. So sir, if you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision but I’m not going to shut the salon.”

Gov. Abbott announced Tuesday that starting Friday, hair, nail, tanning and cosmetology salons will be allowed to reopen provided they limit one customer per stylist and have at least six feet of separation between stations, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.