A woman who was denied a business permit by the city of South Fulton has filed a lawsuit.

Awa Diagne filed the suit against the city on Thursday, August 22, challenging their denial of a permit to open her African hair braiding shop in a shopping plaza on Campbellton Fairburn Road.

South Fulton claimed the shop would provide too much competition for other nearby hair salons.

The city’s zoning code limits new businesses with like-use from being able to open within a one-mile radius of a similar business.

Diagne argues there’s no other African braid shop within 15 minutes of her location.

“Never did I think, here in America of all places, that I would get denied a business permit because I might be too successful,” Awa said. “I’ve been braiding hair my entire life. This is a business I know, a community I love. For the Council to deny me when I’ve done nothing wrong just isn’t right.”

The plaza already houses a barber shop, a beauty supply store, and a hair salon.

Councilwoman Helen Willis whose district Diagne’s business sits in says this zoning code isn’t to deter small business owners but to diversify the city’s business pool.

“We want an environment where we can have economic fairness and diverse retail,” Willis said.