The case began in 2016, when a Bay City dancer filed suit against Déjà Vu clubs in Saginaw, but it was expanded this year to include Déjà Vu clubs and their affiliates nationwide. Until recently, Michigan law prohibited fully nude dancing at clubs where alcohol was served. "We've heard many stories about clubs taking advantage of dancers and exploiting them," Young said.īut in backing the settlement, Déjà Vu and Mohney deny the allegations in the suit and admit no wrongdoing.ĭéjà Vu, founded in Michigan but now a national firm with offices in Michigan, California and Nevada, has operated many of its clubs under a model in which the clubs serve no alcohol but dancers disrobe completely. Jesse Young, a Southfield attorney representing the plaintiffs, said many of the dancers may only receive a couple of hundred dollars, but the benefits of the settlement go far beyond the cash settlement and include future wages, unemployment insurance, and the right to unionize if they are deemed club employees. The proposed settlement covers more than 60 clubs around the country, of which 11 are in Michigan, including Déjà Vu Showgirls in Highland Park, Larry Flynt's Hustler in Lincoln Park, and Déjà Vu Showgirls in Lansing. “It was not easy to make money and there were nights that I walked out with less than what I came in with,” Sage said in a letter to the court. Minneapolis-area dancer Stephanie Sage said that with as many as 28,177 dancers sharing in the settlement, the offer is too small.
District Judge Stephen Murphy as "reasonable, fair and adequate," ahead of a June 7 fairness hearing in Detroit. So far, only one dancer has objected to the proposed settlement, which has received preliminary approval from U.S. Another $1 million will pay attorney fees and penalties. The dancers can also choose whether to share in a $1-million cash payment pool or instead share in a $4.5-million pool that will credit them for rent and dance fees paid to the clubs.
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