RANDALL HEAGNEY, RICA GUERRERO, KERRIE GONNELLA, JOHN ROHLOFF, and JEWEL RULE, v. JOHN PAUL MITCHELL SYSTEMS,
John Paul Mitchell Systems (“Paul Mitchell”) is facing a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over the hair care company’s “Never have. Never will.” promise never to test on animals. Putative class members, all purchasers who relied on the company’s cruelty-free representations, claim that Paul Mitchell’s extensive marketing as a “cruelty-free” company constitutes a breach of express warranty and a violation of California consumer protection laws, false advertising laws, and unfair competition laws since Paul Mitchell has been selling products for years in China, a country that mandates animal testing for imported cosmetics. Plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief, restitution, and punitive damages.
[To accompany Federal Court Case Law Update "Paul Mitchell Faces Class Action Over Cruelty-Free Hair Care Claims" from Brooks Animal Law Digest Issue No. 178.]