Oregon salon owner sues Governor Kate Brown for $100K over the state's lockdown and her $14,000 fine for defying the rules and reopening her business in the middle of the pandemic
An Oregon salon owner has sued Governor Kate Brown for $100,000 over the state's lockdown and for fining her $14,000 for defying the rules and reopening her business in the middle of the pandemic.
Lindsey Graham, owner of Glamour Salon in Salem, filed a lawsuit in Marion County court December 18 against the Democratic governor claiming that forcing small businesses to shut at the height of the global health crisis did more harm than good.
Graham was forced to close her salon on March 23, when Brown plunged the state into a stay-at-home order that shuttered non-essential businesses to slow the spread of the virus.
Six weeks later in May, Graham reopened her business in defiance of the order saying she needed to get back to work to pay her bills and feed her family.
She was slapped with a $14,000 fine and was ordered to close it.
Oregon salon owner Lindsey Graham has sued Governor Kate Brown for $100,000 over the state's lockdown and for fining her $14,000 for defying the rules and reopening her business in the middle of the pandemic
Graham was forced to close her salon on March 23, when Brown plunged the state into a stay-at-home order that shuttered non-essential businesses to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured Graham reopening the salon in May
Graham is now suing Brown over the saga claiming the state lockdown 'caused greater negative health effects on Oregonians in the form of increased stress, anxiety and depression,' according to KATU.
The suit claims the lockdown rules were 'sudden, irrational, draconian, and irresponsible' and that they left private business owners at a loss over how they could support their families.
Graham claims the governor does not have the powers to order private businesses to close when they could show they were following health guidelines and reopened safely.
'Lindsey Graham, and others like her, have a fundamental right to earn a living. They have a right to take care of and provide for themselves and their families,' the suit reads.
In the suit, the salon owner claims she lost business, revenue from her clients, and that her reputation and goodwill was damaged.
The suit also says Graham was made an example of by the state when she was hit with the hefty fine.
Lindsey Graham, owner of Glamour Salon in Salem, filed a lawsuit in Marion County court December 18 against the Democratic governor claiming that forcing small businesses to shut at the height of the global health crisis did more harm than good
She also hits out at the governor for living comfortably during the pandemic while Oregonians lost their jobs.
'While private business owners and their employees were forced to struggle through the government’s draconian edicts, the individual defendants named in this action remained comfortable, collecting a paycheck on the backs of the very people who were losing their jobs, careers and businesses,' the suit reads.
'Defendant Kate Brown even lives in a mansion paid for by the taxpayers of Oregon, at a time when thousands of Oregonians are unable to make rent or mortgage payments. The repugnant nature of this conflict should not be lost on anyone.'
Graham is seeking $100,000 in damages in the suit.
This is the second suit filed by Graham after she sued the state and Brown in July claiming they sent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to her salon and issued her with the $14,000 fine.
Graham reopened her business in May in defiance of the order and was slapped with a $14,000 fine
Graham is a mother to three kids, a six-year-old son, a three-year-old girl and a baby son. Pictured in 2016 social media photo holding one of her newborn children
Graham reopened her business back on May 5 in defiance of state stay-at-home orders saying she needed to pay her bills and provide for her three young children.
'At this point, I’m deciding that it’s more important for me to feed my family and pay the bills that are going to keep our home and our family alive than take the risk to remain being shut down for an undisclosed amount of time,' Graham said to KPTV at the time.
She was fined $14,000 and claimed child protective services investigated her home after she opened her workplace's doors.
At the time, Marion County - where the business is located - was not approved for reopening.
She claimed that two days later on May 7 the state retaliated against her by dispatching Child Protective Services to her home to investigate whether she was a fit mother.
Graham is a mother to three kids, a six-year-old son, a three-year-old girl and a baby son.
Brown allowed more than 30 counties to begin phase one of reopening on May 15.
Under phase one restaurants and bars were allowed dine-in services until 10pm, and personal service businesses and retailers could reopen.
However Marion County was not included in the areas able to reopen at the time.
The state of Oregon has recorded 1,403 COVID-19 deaths and 105,970 infections.
Nationwide, 18.4 million people have been infected and 326,000 have died.
