Two strippers have accused their strip joint owner of discrimination because he prevented them from getting better tips by keeping them from VIP areas.
According to the New York Post, Kieara Gaskin, 28, and Tenia Stuckey, 37, allege that Kevin Burch, who runs Starlets in Woodside and Club Lust in Sunset Park, allowed the security guards to decide who would have access to the VIP areas.
“Security guards . . . allowed certain entertainers who tolerated their sexual advances and flirtatious behavior to have more opportunities to earn tips by allowing them access to the stage and the VIP areas,” the lawsuit charges.
What’s more, a manager at the clubs told security “to keep Gaskin and Stuckey out of the VIP areas due to their race.”
Gaskin also said that she was punished by being barred entry to the VIP areas when she “refused to engage” with bouncers in “sexually provocative verbal and physical misconduct . . . and as a result, she was barred from access to the VIP areas, which meant that she was denied the opportunity to work in the area where it was possible to earn greater tips.”
The two women also noted that Burch would not allow them dignity when collecting tips because he “require[d] that patrons throw all cash tips on the floor and entertainers must get on their knees and crawl around to pick up their tips.”
The Post notes Burch is not the first club owner Gaskin and Stuckey have sued. The pair filed a lawsuit against Sin City Cabaret in The Bronx in December of 2014, alleging sexual harassment and the use of the n-word by owner Gus Drakopoulos.