A Maryland hairstylist who was captured on security video dragging a 15-year-old client across a salon floor earlier this year has been convicted of second-degree assault.
Jayla Cunningham, 19 — who is known on social media as Jayla Amora — was found guilty on November 14 following a bench trial in Prince George’s County. The conviction stems from a March 2 altercation that quickly went viral and sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms.
According to authorities and reports, the incident began when Cunningham completed a $150 weave installation for the teen client. The girl told Cunningham she had sent the payment via Cash App but accidentally sent it to the wrong account. As the girl attempted to leave the salon while resolving the issue, Cunningham chased her outside, grabbed her by the hoodie, and allegedly pulled her hair, dragging her back inside.
Security video captured Cunningham pulling the teen across the pavement and into the salon, where she then forced her to the ground next to a bag of trash. In the footage, Cunningham can be heard yelling, “Sit right here until somebody sends it… You just tried to run. You’re lucky I ain’t beat the s— out you.”
Cunningham then retrieved scissors and cut the weave out of the girl’s hair, later saying she wanted to undo the service if she wasn’t going to be paid.
The footage, which Cunningham herself posted online, quickly drew national attention, accumulating more than 54 million views. Cunningham told reporters she received death threats after the video went viral and ultimately relocated her salon.
The 15-year-old was left with scratches, bruises, and what her mother described as significant emotional trauma. “She’s not good at all,” the mother told media outlets. “This has been absolutely absurd for our family, especially with it going viral across the country.”
The family retained attorney De’Aja Thompson, who called the video “horrendous” and emphasized that it showed “someone’s child… being dragged across a salon floor by her jacket over something as simple as a mistake.” Thompson said the situation was “avoidable” and warned of the dangers when citizens “take the law into their own hands.”
Cunningham was arrested on March 5 and charged with second-degree assault. During the trial, prosecutors argued that her actions were intentional, excessive, and far beyond what the situation required. The defense maintained that the teen attempted to leave without paying — something Cunningham also emphasized in interviews, saying, “She ran… If I didn’t do that, she would have been gone and I would have never been paid.”
Cunningham also referenced having a witness who supported her version of events, although details of the witness’s testimony from the trial have not been publicly shared.
The November conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Cunningham, who was 18 at the time of the incident, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2026. As of November 26, no appeals have been filed.
The case continues to spark discussion online, with recent posts on X highlighting both the conviction and the potential sentence. Cunningham, who is also a self-published author, has not made further public statements since the ruling.
