Admiral Theatre Pays $200,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment, Race Discrimination and Retaliation Suit Against Illinois Nightclub

CHICAGO - Admiral Theatre, Inc., an exotic dance club providing adult entertainment services, will pay $200,000 and furnish other relief to settle a lawsuit for sex and race discrimination and retaliation filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, Admiral violated federal law by subjecting female entertainers to hostile and dangerous working conditions where they faced sexual harassment, including egregious physical attacks and assaults from customers, based on sex and race, as well as retaliation for complaining about it. Admiral acceded to customers' requests for entertainers of certain races, including African Americans, thus subjecting black staffers to particular physical abuse and racial verbal harassment, the EEOC suit found.

One of the entertainers sent an email complaint to management and started a petition calling for sexual assault prevention training and other workplace changes to prevent race and sex discrimination. The company took no steps to correct the situation and proceeded to retaliate against the entertainer by not calling her back to work following COVID pandemic closures, the EEOC said.

"Choosing to work as an adult entertainer does not constitute consent to harassment at work based on race or sex. This settlement provides meaningful relief to the entertainers who were subject to discrimination and participated in the EEOC's lawsuit," said EEOC Chicago Regional Attorney Gregory C. Gochanour. "Further, this resolution demonstrates that federal laws against employment discrimination protect workers in all types of workplaces."

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation for complaining about it. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for 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 its administrative conciliation process.

The consent decree entered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Albert Berry establishes a $200,000 settlement fund to be shared among a group of entertainers subjected to discrimination. It also requires that Admiral train its managers, supervisors and security personnel on how to take preventative and corrective measures against discrimination, including harassment of entertainers by customers, a key allegation in the EEOC's complaint. The decree further mandates that Admiral maintain a list of customers who are the subject of repeated harassment complaints and should be on a "deny entry list" and identify security personnel who fail to address harassment complaints and therefore should be subject to discipline up to and including termination.

The EEOC's Chicago District Office has jurisdiction over Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .