Elgin salon files lawsuit against creators of Facebook page

An Elgin beauty school is suing an Algonquin man and an unknown co-defendant, claiming they created a Facebook page defaming the institution and its directors.

The Salon Professional Academy of Elgin, along with admissions director Gwendolyn Nelson and dean Aaron Aven, are seeking $50,000 in damages in the lawsuit filed in Kane County Circuit Court.

The suit claims that Nicholas Blacconiere of Algonquin and a John Doe made defamatory statements about the plaintiffs through a Facebook page called "TSPA RobinHood" using the salon logo.

The site, which was still in operation Friday, was used by students and teachers to complain about the school.

Posts on the site informed Facebook "friends" about changes in staffing and trouble various students had gotten into, including one "ditching her perm."

The beauty school already had its own page on the social networking site with the same logo, under the name "TSPA Elgin".

A salon employee reached Friday said that the salon's managers were in St. Louis at a conference, and declined to comment.

Blacconiere could not be reached.

The parties are scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Oct. 15 in Geneva.