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Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Harassment at Strip Club!
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2010
Modified Feb 5, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2010
Modified Feb 5, 2010
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In a shocking allegation, a former cocktail waitress at the Penthouse Executive Club claims the managers cultivated an unprofessional atmosphere of sordid sexual degradation. Lourdes Garcia, 34, filed a lawsuit against the club yesterday, accusing the owner of firing her after she repeatedly rebuffed the sexual of advances of both male and female managers. Club manager John Loukas "repeatedly" invited Garcia into his office, "implying that he wanted to have a sexual relationship," according to court papers. Loukas allegedly "told (Garcia) ‘if you want me to help you, you have to help me. There are no cameras up here."
Garcia also claims that early last year general manager Kelly Gerald-Hughes began to "repeatedly touch (her) in a sexual manner on her legs and thighs" early last year. It's being alleged that Gerald-Hughes did more "performing" in the VIP rooms than managing, and offered to make out with Garcia "in front of the customers for a fee." Gerald-Hughes also allegedly made remarks about the size of Garcia's breasts in front of customers and stroked her leg in a VIP room. Who knew this kind of stuff went on at strip clubs?
Garcia says she was "humiliated and degraded," and when she complained "on more than one occasion" to club owner Robert Gans, Gerald-Hughes allegedly told her she had "significant influence" over Penthouse Club CEO Mark Yackow. She was fired two weeks before Christmas after being accused of "stealing a few bucks" and tells the Daily News, "They couldn't look me in the eye. I was loyal to them, and this is how they treat me." The club hasn't commented yet, but we'll keep you posted on this and all other strip club lawsuits as they develop.
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penthouse executive club
strip club
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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