Co-Owner Of Austin's Spider House Accused Of Sexual Misconduct

AUSTIN, TX — Inspired by the current hashtag movement #MeToo alerting to sexual assault, a former employee of the popular Spider House venue has accused the establishment's co-owner of allegedly assaulting his wife, leading to the proprietor's ouster by other company officials.

Jeremy Rogers, a former employee at the bar/restaurant at 2908 Fruth St.. and his wife, Tiffany Paciga, posted a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday outlining accusations against John Dorgan, a co-owner of the establishment. Along with his business partner Conrad Bejarano, Dorgan partly owns a number of business: EcoClean, I Luv Video and the I Luv Vintage store around the corner from Spider House fronting Guadalupe Street.

"In the fall of 2014 John Dorgan sexually assaulted my wife, Tiffany Paciga, when she was giving him a ride home from Spider House," Rogers, who worked at the venue until 2015, wrote in his Facebook post. " John had been drinking at Spider House quite regularly. I worked behind the bar and at the time, we were never allowed to cut him off. He was one of the owners and was a known alcoholic and substance abuser. He was unpredictable and irrational at most times. John was/is dangerous while also being completely charming and deceptive."

Rogers explained that his wife had offered Dorgan a ride given his alleged intoxication and because it was cold outside. But upon arrival to his home, Dorgan allegedly assaulted his wife, he said.

"Tiffany offered to give him a ride home because he was drunk and it was cold out," Rogers explained. "When they arrived at his house, he begged her to come inside and started touching her inappropriately. When she rejected his advance, he lunged at her and Tiffany had to physically force him off. She had to force a fully grown 6'3 200+ pound man off her and out of her car.”

Rogers said he reported the incident to Spider House management, but no corrective action was taken. The former employee said he confronted Dorgan, who he said apologized while attributing his behavior to alcohol consumption. Rogers said he chose to continue working at the venue only to undergo abuse from Dorgan.

Rogers described one such incident: "In the summer of 2015, I denied John's request to buy himself and the whole bar a round because he was well past the point of return and was acting belligerent and dangerous. It was then he looked me dead in the eye and screamed, 'You exist to fill my cup! This is my bar! Now give me my drink, b****!" (Rhymes with "witch.")

The former employee and his wife suggested they were inspired to voice their outcry by the current movement featuring the #MeToo hashtag. Ever since the scandal surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, scores of women have come forward to share their own experiences with sexual assault prefaced by the hashtag in the interest of encouraging others to speak out.

Dorgan has yet to issue a statement outlining his side of the story. But by Thursday, Spider House released a statement saying Dorgan has since been relegated to silent partner and banished from the premises.

“The current management team was unaware of the events that allegedly transpired between the parties, and are appalled with this situation," the statement, posted on Facebook, reads. "At this time, the owner in question has been banned from the premises, and is now and forever, a silent partner. While there is nothing we can do to remedy the past, we are taking the appropriate steps to make sure our Spider House Family feels comfortable and secure.”

Becoming a silent partner doesn't mean a person divests of his financial interest in a company. The term refers to an individual whose involvement in a partnership is limited to providing capital to the business. In the "silent partner" role, the person is seldom involved in the partnership's daily operations and does not generally participate in management meetings.

In the statement, Spider House officials noted they had scheduled an Oct. 30 staff meeting to discuss the matter and listen to concerns from others. Company officials said the public is invited to attend the meeting, which is scheduled at 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30, in the Spider House Ballroom. The ballroom is adjacent to the patio restaurant/bar, and is the site of concerts, comedy shows, burlesque performances and other events staged at the venue.

In his LinkedIn account, Dorgan lists his current board membership with the Austin Independent Business Alliance in his resume, noting he has served in that capacity for more than nine years beginning in April 2008. It's unclear if that post is now in jeopardy given the accusations at Spider House.

"I believe that the local business culture is one of the great pillars of Austin's charm and appeal," Dorgan wrote on his LinkedIn page. "For this reason, I'm a huge fan, member, and board member of the Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA)."

>>> Photos by Tony Cantú