Two Former Dancers File Lawsuits Against Peabody Strip Club

PEABODY, MA -- Two former dancers at the Cabaret Lounge claim in a lawsuit that the owner of the Cabret Lounge in Peabody misclassified them as independent contractors to avoid paying them hourly wages, overtime and benefits. Nayelis Baldino and Summer Beaulieu say in their Salem Superior Court lawsuit that their dancing in the nude when they worked at the Cabaret between 2015 and 2017 is part of the club’s regular course of business, and they should not have been classified as independent contractors.

The club further misclassified them as independent contractors by requiring them to perform specific job duties and adhere to a set work schedule. The Cabaret dictated what outfits they wore on stage and fined them for missing or coming late to work. Dancers, the lawsuit says, only received tips, a portion of which went to pay a nightly house fee and were shared with the DJ.

According to the lawsuit, Cabaret Enterprises Inc. and owner Feng Zhi violated state wage laws, as well as labor laws prohibiting tip sharing. David Dishman, who represents Baldino and Beauliue, has filed similar lawsuits against other strip clubs, including Revere’s Squire Lounge in 2012 the Golden Banana in 2009. Both of those were settled out of court, according to court documents.

A settlement is likely, and could prove costly to Zhi, who purchased the Cabaret in 2013. In 2014 Kittens Gentlemen's Club in Salisbury reached a settlement with dancers represented by Dishman after a judge ruled they were owed $4.7 million in back wages. Judges has consistently agreed with Dishman's arguments against clubs that classify dancers as independent contractors.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).