ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Miss Julie’s School of Beauty, a cosmetology school for human trafficking survivors and those at risk of being trafficked, offered the first-of-its-kind class Monday.

Organizers hosted the training program for any stylists across the area. The Director of the school, Julie Chapus, says it’s “imperative” stylists understand how traffickers use salons to help their illegal operations.

“Traffickers use it in every stage of trafficking, from recruiting, and grooming, to then exploiting, to then using our salons when a missing person’s report comes out,” she said. “They want us to change the picture that everybody is looking for a long brown-haired girl, we just gave her a short, red pixie.”

Chapus says the school is still working on finding a permanent location. In the meantime, she says they will continue to educate stylists in the area and raise awareness on the issue.