CHICAGO—The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on Wednesday that it has settled with the parent company of the Admiral Theatre to resolve a sexual harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed against the world-famous adult entertainment club.
Admiral is required to pay $200,000 in relief to settle.
The EEOC's Chicago-based regional office initially sued Admiral Theatre in September 2024. The commission sued in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, saying that management and ownership created a hostile work environment for its erotic entertainers and performers.
Performers reported to the EEOC at the time that they 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."
Also, at the time of the suit, Admiral's management was found by the EEOC to be "nominally" responsible for the protection of entertainers from contact with patrons, but entertainers complained that patrons routinely ignored the club's rules, and when those complaints were filed with corporate, no adequate response or corrective action was taken. Furthermore, the suit charged, when an entertainer objected, she was fired.
Black dancers faced racial discrimination as managers intentionally limited their shifts, pushing them into less lucrative shifts, and controlled their appearance and work conditions, the EEOC suit alleged. Examples of this discrimination included the liberal use of racial slurs.
The Admiral Theatre circumvented certain labor protections by classifying entertainers as independent contractors, despite them qualifying as employees under federal labor laws. The settlement is a noteworthy development in resolving these problems.
“Choosing to work as an adult entertainer does not constitute consent to harassment at work based on race or sex," said Gregory C. Gochanour, the regional attorney for EEOC Chicago. "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," Gochanour added. Court documents issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Albert Berry establish the $200,000 settlement fund for the entertainers subjected to the discrimination.
The settlement also requires Admiral Theatre to train its managers, supervisors and security personnel in preventative and corrective measures against discrimination, including the harassment of performers by customers.
The court also orders the creation and maintenance of a "deny entry list" of customers who are repeat harassers, and also requires that security personnel who fail to address harrasment be subject to disciplinary actions, including termination.
AVN reached out for comment to a representative of the Admiral Theatre, but received no reply by publication time.
