GREELEY, Colo. — A Colorado woman says she was denied a haircut at a local Great Clips because her baby son was not wearing a mask.
Meri Smith decided she was finally ready to get a haircut. It would have been her first one since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. in March.
She made an online appointment at Great Clips, and when she went to the salon to check-in, she was told that her son "can't come in" to the building.
"They said you can't come in because he's under two and he can't wear a mask," Smith said.
Smith said she was confused and humiliated by the situation. As a teacher, she's familiar with Colorado's statewide mask mandate and she knows it doesn't apply to children who are 10 and younger.
"I just felt rejected. It made me sad and uncomfortable that I couldn't go get a haircut just because my son was a baby," Smith said.
A spokesperson for Great Clips released the following statement from Michelle Iacovetta, the COO of Holtzman Enterprises, Inc. and a Great Clips franchisee.
"Holtzman Enterprises, Inc. does not require children under two years of age to wear a mask in our salons, following guidance from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The misunderstanding of this policy that took place recently in our Greeley salon was unfortunate and disappointing. We will be using this as an educational opportunity with staff to reinforce the details of our mask policy and we would welcome the opportunity to apologize directly to the community member."
This story was originally published by Liz Gelardi on KMGH in Denver.