John Paul Mitchell Can’t Exit ‘No Animal Testing’ False-Ad Suit

Consumers raised viable claims alleging John Paul Mitchell Systems deceptively touted hair care products as cruelty-free and not tested on animals, and they can seek money damages, a federal judge said.

Named plaintiffs Randall Heagney and others brought a proposed class action, alleging the company imported products into China and registered them with the Chinese government at a time when Chinese law required that companies test cosmetic imports on animals. According to the plaintiffs, John Paul Mitchell didn’t have an exemption from this requirement.

These allegations plausibly suggest that the company tested some products on animals and that its contrary ...