Nationwide — Khalilah Few, an African American woman from Clayton County, Georgia, is suing the county after officials denied her permit to open a new salon. The rejection came after she had already invested nearly $40,000 in renovations and completed the application process.
According to WSB-TV, Khalilah purchased the property in March and was prepared to launch her business, Creative Crown Collective. She said the county’s five-step permit process gave no indication that her application might fail. At the final hearing, a commissioner cited an “oversaturation” of salons in the area as the reason for denial.
The decision forced her to abandon her opening plans and turn to litigation. She described the experience as devastating and said it has already changed her career path. Her attorney, Jessica Bigbie from the Institute for Justice, argues that the denial violates Few’s constitutional rights.
County officials pointed out that several salons and barber shops operate nearby. One commissioner told Few that her location was in “the wrong area” and that the county wanted to grow “smartly.” The property is located in a business overlay district meant to develop into a trendy, mixed-use hub.
Bigbie said she plans to file a preliminary injunction to let Few open her salon while the lawsuit proceeds. She criticized the decision, saying, “What this boils down to is the government stepping in and picking winners and losers in business — and that’s not how the process should work. That power should belong to the customers.”
To support her case, Khalilah presented evidence of her success at another salon she owns in McDonough, which earned over $600,000 in three years. She also submitted letters from customers backing her new venture.
The Clayton County Commissioners have not commented on the lawsuit.
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