EEOC Sues Admiral Theatre of Chicago for Sex and Race Discrimination and Retaliation

CHICAGO – Admiral Theatre, Inc., an exotic dance club providing adult entertainment services, violated federal law by subjecting female dancers to hostile and dangerous work conditions, according to a new lawsuit filed by the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today.

According to the suit, Admiral Theatre allowed the creation of a hostile environment for entertainers, who were exposed to dangerous, harassing, and sometimes violent behavior from club patrons which included grabbing, groping, slapping, and, in some cases, digitally penetrating entertainers without consent.

Although the club nominally prohibits physical contact between patrons and entertainers, patrons routinely ignored the rule, and entertainers’ complaints to the company were not taken seriously nor did the company provide an adequate response. When an entertainer publicly objected, Admiral prevented her from returning to work.

Black dancers also faced discrimination as company management limited their shifts, pushed them into less lucrative shifts, controlled their appearance and work conditions more strictly than white dancers, and used racial slurs. Although entertainers qualify as employees under federal law, Admiral Theatre misclassified them as independent contractors.

The alleged behavior violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex and race, and as well as retaliation against employees who raise complaints of unlawful discrimination. The EEOC filed suit in the Northern District of Illinois (EEOC v. Admiral Theatre, Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-08989), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through the agency’s conciliation process. The EEOC seeks money damages for a group of entertainers, including back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and reinstatement. The EEOC also seeks injunctive relief to prevent discriminatory practices in the future.

“Choosing to work in adult entertainment does not mean consenting to harassment and assault,” said Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office. “This lawsuit sends a clear message to the adult entertainment industry that Title VII protects all employees, no matter who they are, or what kind of work they perform.”

“Employers have a legal obligation to prevent harassment by customers,” said Amrith Aakre, the EEOC’s Chicago District Director. “The EEOC will not permit employers to evade this obligation by misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Businesses must classify workers correctly, and this is determined by the actual realties of the workplace, not the labels or titles chosen by the employer.”

This is the EEOC’s second recent case involving employment discrimination at adult entertainment venues. In 2019, the EEOC won a $3.3 million dollar jury verdict against a Jackson, Mississippi, night club on behalf of five Black dancers after the agency filed a Title VII case alleging that club violated by discriminating against them on the basis of race.

For more information on harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment. If you are an entertainer who was not a manager and has experienced discrimination or harassment at Admiral Theatre, please contact the EEOC at AdmiralInvestigation@eeoc.gov.  

The EEOC's Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of employment discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with area offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.