A California nightclub is facing a serious lawsuit filed by former employees. Micky’s is well-known as one of the top West Hollywood gay nightclubs, but has experienced a wide range of legal troubles in the past. The current lawsuit is on behalf of nine former employees, and includes claims of racial discrimination and sexual orientation discrimination.
One thing that makes this case unusual is that the sexual discrimination claim is made by heterosexual employees who claim to have been discriminated against because they are not gay. The complaint alleges that they were told to keep their heterosexual status a secret while at work. It is also alleged that straight bartenders were fired based solely on their sexual orientation.
In addition to these claims, the lawsuit asserts that workers were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment due to a range of lewd behaviors conducted by other employees. Workers also claim that they were exposed to hard-core gay pornography that was played during operating hours. The club is also facing charges brought by the California Alcohol and Beverage Control board.
As this lawsuit moves forward, the details released and the eventual outcome may help other California workers feel confident speaking out against similar mistreatment within the workplace. While sexual orientation discrimination is most often targeted against gay employees, there are instances in which straight people are also the subject of discrimination. No individual should have to endure mistreatment or lose their job due to their sexual orientation. California workers should know that they have the right to legal recourse if they experience these types of workplace violations.
Source: wehonews.com, “Micky’s now under fire from ex-employees,” May 20, 2013