Lease refusal stripped dancer of her rights, lawsuit says

Published Saturday
October 16, 2004

Lease refusal stripped dancer of her rights, lawsuit says

BY TODD COOPER

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The elderly. Minorities. Immigrants.

And strippers.

When the state says it is committed to equal access to housing, it apparently means it.

The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against an Omaha real estate company because it refused to rent an apartment to a stripper.

The Richdale Group, owners of the Vanderbilt Apartments in west Omaha, declined to lease an apartment to Charleigh Greenwood after she listed her occupation as a "dancer" at the Bottoms Up Lounge in Council Bluffs.

Such a refusal discriminates against women, the lawsuit says, because women make up 98 percent of dancers in the state and 96 percent of dancers nationwide, according to labor statistics.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office, which files complaints on behalf of the commission, gave the following account in the lawsuit:

On April 12, Greenwood applied for housing at the Vanderbilt Apartments, 112th and Blondo Streets. She put down a $250 rental deposit and filled out an application, which asked for her occupation.

On April 13, a Richdale representative called and rejected Greenwood's application, citing a policy that "they refuse to rent to anyone employed as a dancer at a gentlemen's club."

The commission, which reviews allegations of discrimination in housing and the workforce, began an investigation in June. The Attorney General's Office filed suit after mediation with Richdale failed.

"But for (Greenwood's) occupation, she would have been a qualified rental applicant," wrote Renee Martinez-Junck, an assistant attorney general. "The defendant's policy against renting to persons employed as dancers in the adult entertainment industry has a disproportionate effect on women."

Richdale, owned by Richard and David Slosburg, issued a statement affirming its commitment to fair housing. Betty Price, operations manager for Richdale, said the company would "vigorously" fight the attorney general's action.

"Our policy of not renting to individuals in the adult entertainment business is gender neutral and fully compliant with the law," Price wrote. "In this particular case, it is doubtful that the plaintiff could legally perform her workplace dancing activities in the City of Omaha."

The City of Omaha forbids topless dancing.

Greenwood could not be reached for comment Friday. Douglas County District Judge Thomas Otepka will hear the case.

 

Please keep us abreast of any developments in this most titillating case of discrimination. The apartment complex milked her out of $250 of her hard-earned money before blowing her off. This kind of treatment must be nipped in the bud before it gets any worse. The people at the apartment complex really sounds like a bunch of boobs that have really gotten their teats in a ringer this time.

 

 

Its no different than buildings that won't rent to you if you have kids or pets, etc. There is an element that they don't want to be associated with and its their right to lease to who they want to.
Being a stripper has its price. Sure, they make a lot of easy money, but many folks consider it a small step above prostitution and wouldn't want that "element" around them.

 

i would let strippers stay in my apartment complex... if i had one..

 

me too.

But I wouldn't lease a place to them. Many if not most strippers have aweful credit; they spend all their cash and never pay bills on time. I plan to own rental property soon, and equal housing acts or not, if I don't like the feeling I get from someone, I will not let them live at any of my houses. It is hard as hell to evict someone and it costs an arm and a leg, not to mention the property not generating income. I'll only lease to people with 700+ credit scores.

 

bah.. ill have them pay me in other ways

 

An update to the story:

Bruning Drops Lawsuit Filed On Stripper's Behalf

BY TODD COOPER

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER



Lease refusal stripped dancer of her rights, lawsuit says

Just 12 days after filing the lawsuit, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning announced Wednesday that the state has withdrawn its complaint against an Omaha real estate company for its refusal to rent an apartment to a stripper.

Bruning said he had second thoughts about the lawsuit against the Richdale Group, filed on behalf of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission.

"After further examination, I determined that using state resources for this litigation would be inappropriate," Bruning said. "I don't believe this case is a priority for the hardworking taxpayers of Nebraska

"Strippers are not a protected class under the law like race, gender and religion. I don't think government's role is to force apartment owners to rent property to people engaged in the adult sex industry."

The Attorney General's Office, which files suits against property owners and employers for discrimination, had sued the Richdale Group because it refused to rent an apartment to Charleigh Greenwood in April after she listed her place of employment as the Bottoms Up Lounge in Council Bluffs.

Such a refusal discriminated against women, the lawsuit said, because women make up 98 percent of dancers in the work force.

Bruning said Greenwood can pursue civil litigation against Richdale.

Richdale had defended its action, saying they wouldn't rent to strippers, regardless of gender.