Strippers in California have won an eye-popping $6.5 million payout
from their club after a judge ruled they'd been stiffed over their
private dance fees.
Some 249 exotic dancers launched the class-action lawsuit against the Paradise Showgirls venue in Industry, reports the Los Angeles Times.
They claimed bosses illegally took large slices of their wages after they performed intimate routines.
The nude, semi-nude and bikini-clad dancers alleged they were forced to
pay a rental fee of $14 to hire a lap dance booth or $100 for a VIP
booth.
It significantly ate into their earnings, they claimed, and left them
with just $26 after giving a regular dance and $200 following the more
discreet performance.
They claimed that they were employees and not independent contractors. Therefore, they said, they were entitled to all wages — which included tips.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury agreed with the dancers on Thursday.
And it ruled that the club's rental fees were illegal — and that it now owes the strippers $6.5 million.
It works out to just over $26,000 for each performer, if they all receive the same amount.
"We're thrilled and delighted to have had such a conscientious and
thoughtful jury," K.L. Myles, who was representing the dancers, told KABC.
Ernest Francheschi, the attorney for Paradise Showgirls, argued that the club was entitled to rental fees.
"It's just like renting stage time. We operate kind of like a theatre,
so that's what it is. A jury found they were tips under the court's
instructions, which we take issue with," he added.
He now plans to appeal the verdict.
"We think this classification violates equal protection so there's going to be a constitutional challenge on appeal," he said.
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