Lawsuit: Exotic Dancers Never Received ‘A Single Penny’ in Wages

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MGB, Inc. (which does business as Pure Pleasure) and an individual owner are facing a former employee’s claims that they violated federal labor law. According to the suit, the strip club misclassified its entertainers as independent contractors instead of employees and denied them the protections they should have been afforded under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The plaintiff claims she and other dancers were not paid “a single penny in wages” and received compensation solely from customer tips. Even worse, the defendants allegedly “tricked” proposed class members “into paying to work at the club” by requiring them to surrender a “tip-out” or “bar fee” ranging from $100 to $300 for each shift worked.

The suit argues that the defendants controlled most aspects of dancers’ jobs, such as their schedules; the manner in which they performed; the prices they charged; their attire; and advertising and marketing. The plaintiff claims she was required to adhere to a set of written guidelines and policies in which she had no say. As a result, the complaint alleges, the plaintiff and others should have been classified as employees and paid time-and-a-half wages for the hours they worked over 40 each week, plus the regular minimum wage for all hours worked.