A former dancer at Pink Pony alleges the Atlanta-area adult entertainment club violated federal wage law by requiring dancers to surrender hundreds of dollars in tips while paying them no wages for their time at the club, WSB-TV reports.
The collective action lawsuit, filed July 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, accuses Trop Inc., which operates Pink Pony in Brookhaven, Georgia, and several executives of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. Trop Inc., Dennis Williams, Michael A. Kap, and Eddie Stone are named as defendants.
According to the outlet, the complaint alleges dancers were required to pay a nightly “house fee” ranging from $60 to $532 per shift, depending on their earnings. Those fees allegedly came entirely from dancers’ tip income.
Under the alleged payment structure, some dancers could leave a shift without any earnings. A worker who made $60, for example, could be required to turn over the entire amount to the club, according to the report.
The complaint alleges the plaintiff and other workers she seeks to represent “were not paid wages for any work time on the premises.”
The lawsuit seeks to represent current and former Pink Pony dancers who worked at the club during the previous three years. The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes federal requirements governing minimum wage, overtime pay, and other employment standards.
“It’s just fundamentally unfair and a violation of the law,” attorney Jonah Flynn told the outlet.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. Not every nightclub, not every exotic dance club does this.”
The dancer’s case is not the only legal challenge involving compensation practices at Pink Pony.
WSB-TV reported that a bartender and a “house mom” filed separate lawsuits, with workers similarly accusing the business of improperly taking portions of their tips.
Pink Pony has denied allegations in at least one of the lawsuits. An attorney representing the club declined to provide the outlet with additional comment, citing the pending federal litigation.
The lawsuits add to longstanding scrutiny over how adult entertainment businesses classify and compensate dancers, particularly when workers rely heavily on tips while paying fees to perform.
The claims against Pink Pony and the other defendants remain allegations. A court has not determined that the defendants violated federal wage law.
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