The owners/operators of a Stuart, Fla., strip club will pay
$95,000 and furnish other relief to settle a race discrimination
lawsuit filed by the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC), the agency announced. The EEOC had charged that
Papermoon-Stuart, Inc., and Imaginary Images, Inc., a Richmond, Va.,
parent corporation, violated federal law when they subjected two black
doormen to racial harassment, segregation, and differing terms and
conditions of employment. The company also retaliated against white
employees who complained, the EEOC said.
According to the EEOC’s suit, managers at the Papermoon club in
Stuart referred to black employees using offensive racial slurs, forced
black employees to work in the back of the club instead of at the club
entrance, and complained that “black music makes the club look bad.”
According to the suit, company managers did not stop the harassment,
but instead either forced out or fired white employees who opposed the
abusive conduct.
In addition to monetary damages in the amount of $95,000, the 30-month consent decree resolving the case (EEOC v. Papermoon-Stuart, Inc. and Imaginary Images, Inc., d/b/a Papermoon,
Case No. 0:09-cv-14316-Martinez/Lynch, filed in U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of Florida, Ft. Pierce Division) includes
injunctive relief enjoining the company from engaging in further race
discrimination; requires the posting of a notice about the settlement;
and obligates the company to conduct training and to report information
about race discrimination complaints it receives to the EEOC for
monitoring.
“It is important for employers to recognize that this type of racial
discrimination has no place in the modern workplace,” said EEOC
Regional Attorney Robert Weisberg. “Employers must treat employees of
all races with dignity.”
EEOC Trial Attorney Kaleb Kasperson said, “Employers must take swift
action to assure that their workplace is free from racially offensive
conduct. The law requires that the workplace be free from this type of
blatant racism and segregation.”