Dive Brief:
- Chicago-based Admiral Theatre will pay $200,000 to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that the venue discriminated against adult dancers on the basis of race and sex, according to court documents filed Thursday.
- According to EEOC’s September 2024 complaint, Admiral allowed frequent unwanted touching of female dancers, subjected Black dancers to specific appearance standards not applied to other races, limited when Black dancers could be on stage, subjected Black dancers to slurs and fired a worker who petitioned for sexual assault awareness training.
- In addition to paying $200,000 to the affected dancers, Admiral will review and revise its policies, including by posting signs throughout the venue notifying customers that unwanted touching is not permitted and by prohibiting racial discrimination and retaliation for complaints.
Dive Insight:
The lawsuit serves as a reminder that no employer that qualifies under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is exempt from enforcement, including those in unorthodox industries.
“Choosing to work as an adult entertainer does not constitute consent to harassment at work based on race or sex,” Victor Chen, an EEOC spokesperson, said in an agency release. “This settlement provides meaningful relief to the entertainers who were subject to discrimination and participated in the EEOC’s lawsuit. Further, this resolution demonstrates that federal laws against employment discrimination protect workers in all types of workplaces.”
Admiral agreed to train its managers, supervisors and security personnel on taking preventive and corrective measures against discrimination, including customer harassment. The venue will also create a “deny entry list” for customers who are the subject of repeated harassment complaints and identify security personnel who fail to address complaints and will be subject to discipline, including termination.
EEOC v. Admiral Theatre is also a reminder that employers can be legally liable for harassment and discrimination from clients, customers and vendors. EEOC has secured multiple settlements from staffing agencies after they fulfilled employers’ requests for workers of specific backgrounds, for example. And an appeals court in 2018 upheld an opinion in favor of a Costco worker who endured stalking and unwanted touching from a customer.
A spokesperson reached through Admiral Theatre’s website declined to comment on the settlement, stating the events “occurr[ed] prior to the current ownership.”
