The State Board of Cosmetology has told two Lawrence women to stop braiding hair at the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs.
The State Board of Cosmetology has banned braiding at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, citing public health and safety.
But two Lawrence women who were ordered to stop twisting hair at the annual Medieval festival said the board's logic is like something out of the Dark Ages.
"The common-sense factor is nonexistent in any of this, and that's probably the most frustrating part of it all," said Deb Jennings, an employee at the Bay Leaf, 725 Mass., who has been braiding hair at the festival for about seven years.
Jennings and partner Wendy Moody this week were ordered to "cease and desist" from braiding hair at the festival, following a unanimous vote by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology.
They have been operating the "Braidin' Maidens" booth at the festival for the last five years, without a problem until this year.
The board began looking into the knotted issue after receiving a complaint this year from a licensed cosmetologist, said Mary Lou Davis, executive director of the board.
She said the transfer of head lice, scalpworm and other problems could result without proper licensing and regulations.
"The situation is concerns of health and sanitation," she said. "And, two, unlicensed practice in an unlicensed facility."
The board contends that hair-braiding is a part of cosmetology under state statute. Cosmetologists must be licensed under state law.
"They want us to be licensed cosmetologists " that's 1,500 hours (of classes)," Jennings said. "Why in the world would we want to go to school for 1,500 hours to learn what they don't teach? They spend very little time, if any, on hair-braiding."
But Davis said hair-braiding is included in cosmetology.
Jennings said she and Moody already have gathered 400 signatures on a petition that she plans on taking to the Kansas Legislature next year.
She also has contacted local representatives on the issue.
State Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, said he has been in contact with both Jennings and Davis.
Sloan said the issue "is much ado about nothing."
"I think as much trouble as the Board of Cosmetology has had in the last couple of years " this is just another example of them being out of touch with people's wishes," Sloan said.
The board had "serious management problems" a few years ago, he said.
"I do not see hair-braiding as a threat to public health to the people of Kansas," Sloan said.
Sloan added that he was disappointed a compromise couldn't be worked out between the board and hair-braiders for the 16 days of the Renaissance Festival.
-- Michael Dekker's phone message number is 832-7187. His e-mail address is mdekker@ljworld.com.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.