Not Sexy Enough? Cocktail Waitresses Fired After Risque Photo Shoot Sue Casino
- Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:03am by
Emily Esfahani Smith
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP/THE BLAZE) — When Katharyn Felicia was told that she and other cocktail waitresses at Resorts Casino Hotel were to pose for photos in skimpy new flapper costumes, she thought it was to evaluate the sexy black outfits to make sure they fit and looked right.
What the women didn’t know, she said, was that the photo shoot would determine which of them would still have jobs when the 10-minute encounter was over.
Felicia, who had been with Resorts since the day it opened in 1978 and was twice named employee of the month, was one of 15 cocktail waitresses fired last month from Resorts.
The stated reason, they say, was for “violating uniform standards.” The real reason, they suspect, is that management wanted to get rid of older women who were judged not sexy enough to fit in with the new image the casino is trying to project.
Seven of the fired waitresses are suing Resorts, claiming age and sex discrimination. The others, including Felicia, are considering legal action.
MyFoxPhilly reports that “The servers’ union says the women were let go because they were too old, and now all of the waitresses are under 40.”
“It was very degrading to women,” said Felicia, 53. “I feel they never gave me a chance. We had no idea that photo shoot was fighting for our jobs.”
Resorts said it gave each employee a fair evaluation and said the costumes are an integral part of its rebranding effort. The casino has adopted a roaring ’20s theme after the popularity of the hit HBO series “Boardwalk Empire,” based on Prohibition-era Atlantic City’s reputation as the vice capital of the East Coast.
“A critical aspect of theming is the new costumes front-line employees will be wearing, including the new cocktail server costume,” Resorts spokeswoman Courtney Birmingham said. “This particular cocktail server costume was chosen as part of the larger plan to unveil the new Resorts Casino Hotel as a destination for fun, excitement and a one-of-a-kind experience.”
The costumes include short, skin-revealing black dresses with deep open backs. Waitresses also wear fishnet stockings and ornate Jazz Age hats.
“All cocktail servers were given individual consideration and the selection process was conducted in a fair and objective manner,” Birmingham said. “We empathize with the cocktail servers who lost their jobs and gave them hiring preference in other open positions at Resorts. Some took advantage of this offer and some did not.”
Attorney Kevin Costello, who represents seven of the laid-off servers, said the firings came about after Dennis Gomes, the casino’s co-owner, was in a baccarat pit one night and saw a waitress he considered overweight serving drinks to gamblers.
“It was deeply humiliating for these friendly, capable, experienced cocktail servers, many of whom support families, to be judged not on how well they do their job, how friendly they are and how good they are with drink orders, but on how old they look and what shape they are,” he said. “This is not 1955. A good cocktail server should be allowed to do the job at any age and any shape as long as they’re good at it.”
This is not the first time an Atlantic City casino’s treatment of its female beverage servers has led to litigation.
In 2008, two former cocktail servers at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa settled a multimillion-dollar sex discrimination lawsuit they brought against the casino. They claimed the casino humiliated costumed waitresses — known as “Borgata Babes” — by imposing weight limits, encouraging breast augmentation surgery and emphasizing looks over job performance.
In the Resorts case, Felicia told of a late February photo shoot that was so stressful it made her break out in hives as she struggled to put on a costume that fit properly.
She said each of the women who had to be photographed was made to enter a small changing room with the only light coming from a small window above. It was so dark that a small mirror was nearly useless. Costumes were strewn about the floor, and she and others had to kneel or crawl around to try to find a costume to wear.
“I was forced to get undressed in front of six co-workers, one of them being my manager,” she said. “I had no top on because you can’t wear a bra with the uniform. I had stockings on, but that’s it. It was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever had to do.”
The costumes’ sizes were not marked. The first one she tried on was too big, she said. The second one, which she eventually wore, gave no support to her bosom.
“I did not feel I looked very good in it,” Felicia said. “I was very nervous. I broke out in hives as I was walking out onto the floor. I was losing it, I was stressing so much.”
The photographer told her she was not allowed to pose. Rather, he took pictures from three angles: with her facing forward, backward, and from the side. The photos were shot from the neck-down, with Felicia holding a sign with a number on it that would identify her once the photos were evaluated.
Although it did not happen to her, she said some co-workers were told to spread their legs a bit or to turn their rear ends toward the camera.
“It’s hard to believe that in this day and age women are still put through this,” she said. “I’m a good employee. I did my job well; many managers have told me that. I just don’t understand this. I’m still in shock.
“I understand that cocktail-serving projects sex appeal. You have to be pleasant and radiate a party atmosphere,” Felicia said. “I get that. I’ve done it for nearly 33 years. If it’s all about what men want, well, men like all different kinds of shapes and sizes.”
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Comments (120)
jgsnap
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:10amThis case will be settled out of court and those terminated will receive a check and this will just keep the litigious pendulum swinging. I am literally wiping my tears from the keyboard as I type this.
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:50amThey look like $2 hookers that just got off “Nickel Night”!
Report Post »Liberty7
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:38pmI guess YOU must be speaking from experience. Shame on you for such a demeaning comment comcerning individuals YOU more than likely don’t even know.
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:10pm@Liberty7
Report Post »First off, it’s a joke.. Second it was about the costume or clothes they were wearing and nothing about the person. It was all in good fun, maybe not in YOUR taste but fun nonetheless. If you took the time to read some previous posts you would have read that I was in the bar business. The comment was “Bar Chatter” that I used when I talked with customers, In fact I’ve used that quote a few hundred timed referring to myself.. When asked how I was today, I would say, “Like a $2 ****** that just got off nickel nite”. It would get some serious laughter. However, You may need to lighten up just a bit. I liked my female bartenders to dress sexy to their taste and discretion but not offensive or too trashy. The same was true for the guys.
JohnnyJT South Philly
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:49amHey, No Kids Allowed in CASINOS. Period.
Report Post »So what’s the BIG DEAL?
Pat Alexander
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:39amThe “costumes” – they are NOT uniforms – make the girls look like cheap hookers.
Looks like 10 cents a dance & 10 bucks for romance. NOT classy, vulgar…
Why not dress the older ones like madams? Problem solved !
Report Post »teachermitch32
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:00amWOW! And you’re not management somewhere because….???? No, really, that’s not a bad idea. Way to think outside the box. As Trump might say….”You’re hired”.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:37amDon’t get me wrong. At my age women in their 50s can look pretty nice to me. In fact, a guy looking at a 25 year old, when they may have daughters are older than that, seems kind of sick to me. But come on, after a point, you realize women are getting too old to dress certain ways. Can you picture the 10 year old boy pointing out grandma wearing the mini skirt. Kind of embarrassing I’d think.
Report Post »teachermitch32
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:56amCareful! We have progressive trolls on here that might just find a picture of a 10 year old boy in a bikini attractive.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:10amTeacher…LOL..true..good point
Report Post »LindaB11
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:19amI know one of the waitresses that was let go and she she’s not some slob she still looks great. One thing that is being missed in all of the articles being printed is, Resorts ONLY had uniforms made in a 2 and 4 sizes. So yes, they have a legal challenge. This was premeditated and discrimination. Not all young waitresses are a 2 or a 4 size either. I agree that a business has the right to run their private business as they see fit, but we do have discrimination laws they must abide by and this is a clear case of discrimination. It’s not so much what they did, but how they did it and it’s blatant discrimination. They should have just let them go when they re-organized not wait till the 90 pre-screening on the last day to fire them. These woman deserve better most have been there since Resorts opened. Also, Resorts did offer some other jobs in other restaurants with homely looking uniforms so i‘s not about their work it’s about their AGE and it’s UNLAWFUL!
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:03amI’m a bit lost. Would a 55 year old waitress want to work wearing that? What about 60, or maybe 65. 70? Using logic that age means nothing in all jobs, we’ll be seeing Hollywood movies with 90 year old James Bond frolicking with his 85 year old “Bond girl” between fighting the bad guy scenes. Wow, that’ll really pack the theater seats.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:31pmThat Movie is out and called RED……not j bond specifically an OK movie
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:01amThere are age appropriate, gender appropriate and jobs that rely on your appearance as well. Not to mention the ability to read the employee manual. I was a high volume bartender and bar manager for years. Appearance is a must! In many clubs bars & resorts it’s the norm. You have to keep in the best of shape.. Round isn’t a shape in this case.. I had plenty of over forty servers and bartenders that put the 25 year old’s to shame!
Report Post »338lapua
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:41amI have been served by some nasty hags(old and young) in my days. That being said,this woman is not difficult on the eyes. In that industry, Iunderstand there has to be a standard, but look at a casino’s clientele! I like the fact that she isn’t covered with tattoos.She might be a “sweet young thing” to 20 percent of their business. Age appropriate to at least 40 percent. I think the management is making a bad decision. But……management does that ALL THE TIME. With her experience, what do you want to bet, she gets a better job in a very short amount of time. Oops…..that is if she doesn’t sue. If she files a lawsuit, she is unemployed for a long time.
Report Post »Scarab Sport
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:38amIf the company wants to present a certain image they need a certain type of person filling the job. They are writing the checks and should employ who they want to employ. You don‘t want a 250 pound doughnut working at Hooters and you don’t want to look at your grandmother wearing a skimpy flapper outfit. Even beer goggles wouldn’t help in this situation.
Report Post »roachesneverdie
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:55amNow if we had Sharia law, problem solved, then everybody be happy! It’s sabatoogie… nyuk nyuk nyuk
Actually, I agree that the ladies were unfairly treated, they should have been warned about the changes and new standards and to prepare for job changes if they couldn’t meet them. I hope they win for being wrongly treated but I hope SEIU or any other union doesn’t end up organizing them.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:18amits a shame peopel are judged like this BUT doesnt the company have a right to hire and fire who they want? if we say they MUST hire older women will we next say they MUST hure gays or they MUST hire illegal imagrants or blacks? oh wait we do that now.. government should stay OUT of business and personal affairs
Report Post »saigonpaul
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:13amBack in SAIGON…… NO MONEY, NO HONEY….. :)
Report Post »Midwest Blonde
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:54amAfter a few drinks, what patron even KNOWS what the waitresses look like??
Report Post »teachermitch32
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:50amI think it would have been simpler, and cheaper, for management to hand out beer goggles at the door to patrons. Hope their decision brings in enough patrons to off set for the money they may pay out to these valuable ex-employees. http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/75500/BEER-GOGGLES–75881.jpg
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:27pmBEER goggles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roflmao!!!
Report Post »satman40
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:45amWho wants to got to a Union Cat house and be told to take the fat old one she has the most seniority
This was just a business decision.
Report Post »Gasparri
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:17amObama has that situation. And has to put up with it too. The biggest casino in the world and to think they do it in Lincoln’s bed,
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:40amCasinos attract people of all ages and to a 70 year old, a 45 year old is a sweet young thing! I lke an attractive older woman, at least they aren’t covered in tattoos for the most part.
Report Post »texas2011
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:28amHow did they last as long as they did.
Report Post »SingerGuy
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:37amThere’s an old saying that goes, “When your face is your fortune you’re finished at forty.”
Report Post »timej31
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:54amLook fit to me.
Report Post »texan59
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:54amWhere in the world is their union rep? This must not stand. Call Barack Obama and Richard Turmka. If this goes forward, I demand my opportunity to play 2nd base for the Chicago Cubs. If the only requirement for thr job is your good looks then I am highly qualified to work for Mark Steyn or Mark Levin. don’t judge me on my talent, only my looks please.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:55amWho cares? Fire them or hire them…this will be settled out of court anyway..
Report Post »hogtrashhd
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:24amI want to know
Report Post »hogtrashhd
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:23amwell look at her.. come on she’s been eating too much biscuits and gravy.. and she doesn’t look so good anyway… I gamble a lot and I don’t want to see a hog like that.. I want to see a bit of glamour.. not a hogmo.. sorry there are other jobs for hogmos.. not this one.. she was probably a problem employee anyway.. don’t let the door hit you in the arse on your way out ..
Report Post »Hugh Williams
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:57amI am sure you have the body of a Greek God chiseled in stone. Not!!!!
Report Post »Da Kingfish
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:39pmYou just proved you don’t have a brain by gambling, dumb ass.
Report Post »ColoradoDad
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:20amPersonally I think the casino is making a mistake. They get a lot of customers coming through their doors, and not everyone has the same taste. Some people might prefer the older women type. You know what they say, “variety is the spice of life”.
Report Post »pitboss711
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:15amI agree, Coloradodad, but you must understand…casinos are no longer run by the mob, who knew how to run a casino the right way…they’re run by college-educated idiots who never worked in a casino before getting their position. They don’t listen to their customers or their employees…they listen to their bean counters. They don’t care about holding a house advantage over the players…all they care about is what their stockholders think, they’re bottom-line and making a profit in every department. I’ve watched idiots like this manage more than one casino right into the toilet. They don’t care about employee loyalty…all they want are puppets to entertain their high-rolling guests.
Report Post »goatkid
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:01am@coloradodad
Report Post »Agreed 100%. I think this is immoral from every angle though.
pitboss711
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:11amI agree, Goatkid…and I hope the waitresses win in court.
Report Post »Hugh Williams
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:55amA woman does not have to be 21 years old and skinny as a rail to be sexy. The women shown are sexy.
Report Post »P.S. the people making Miss Piggy and fat and old jokes will also get old someday; it will happen sooner that they think.
docvet
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:54pmThese kind of standards didn’t work too well for flight attendents. The servers have a case.
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:05amShe was fired becase she looks like Miss Piggy.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:12amAnd she’s going to win!
Report Post »Age discriminaton.
Herman_Cain
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:45amDiscrimination laws don’t apply to Entertainment work. Pretty soon every type of business will have a “entertainment” option to visit.
Report Post »chickenlittle
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 7:57am@HERMANCAIN… All well and good to leave entertainment exceptions, but where does it stop? Anybody that runs or owns a business in this country knows there is no real freedom left… only fear of getting sued or “investigated.”
By example, I would offer this… I happen to be personally grossed-out by excessive “body piercing” and I cringe at what I see some people doing. I freely admit they have the right to look the way they want. I actually quit going to a convenience store for my morning coffee and gasoline and switched my business to where the clerk did not have piercings on her hands and face. My choice, I know, no big deal. But, don’t you think the franchise would like to appeal to the most broad range of customers in their stores? They could require “no Metal” on the job… but my suspicion is they can’t for fear of a discrimination lawsuit. I‘d say that’s limiting the business owner’s freedom to do business… not allowing for what image they want to present to the customer.
Examples abound, if you want to think on it, but the free market system is anything but free anymore… and it’s free markets that used to pay the bills by supplying services, products and jobs.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:02amGreat googely moogely.
Report Post »ColoradoDad
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:17amThe truth, you want the truth, you can’t handle the truth!!!
Report Post »ColoradoDad
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:41am@Darmok
I just looked up “Googly Moogly”. It says “A phrase used when you see a real thick female and u wanna say ”DAYYYYYYYYUUUMMMM”, and “Googly Moogly, dat thang iz juicy”.
Report Post »How funny! Roflmao
JP4JOY
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:37amTruth is I was the lead electrician for “Hello Hollywood Hello” in Reno, NV. The “Management” would hold a “cattle call” on an annual basis. This was a dreaded expose where all the “topless” dancers would line up and the “management” would use the “pencil test” to evaluate the worthiness of the dancers. If their bosom trapped the pencil they were too “saggy” to have their contracts renewed. Remarkably this was not done in “secret”. It was done on stage after hours but very publicly. Having been employed there for more than 6.5 years I saw no less than 8 “calls” during my employment at the MGM Grand. It was totally humiliating for the girls and was abandoned towards the end of my time there. It had become an issue in Las Vegas and women’s rights groups had lobbied to put an end to the neanderthal practice.
It seems nothing is new under the sun.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:36amSo does Calvin Klein have to hire old fat models? Would Depends have to hire 20yr old actors?
Report Post »Should corvette ads have 90 yr old ladies laying across the hood? Get real
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:16amNormally for an article like this I would not comment; however, reading it through, it does appear there is sufficient grounds for a discrimination suit to proceed, and be won by these ladies. Let the courts be the deciders in this case.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:43amI’m old…I don’t like the young waitresses. They are mostly airheads…I like the older ones. To me olers women are so sexy because of their maturity. I would be a perfect person to call in their defense. Us old folks need to stick together!
Report Post »CowboyExpat
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:55amPicard and Dathon at El-Adrel
Report Post »Shoot-To-Kill
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:19amFor crying out loud, It‘s the casino’s RIGHT to hire and fire whoever they want for any reason they want. I have my own business and NOBODY tells me who I employ! What in God’s name is happening to this country?
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:34amThey are selling sex, for crying out loud! The only thing I would say is that they should do re-evaluations discreetly.
Report Post »Probably, up front they should tell girls that they will, at some time, be judged on their sexiness.
We can‘t allow unions or ’social justice’ outsiders determine how a business that plays to a particular theme chooses employees.
chickenlittle
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:38amI know this is probably pretty a solid age/visual? discrimination… but… I go with REPUBLICORP on this one. This is a private company selling the image they want. It’s supposed to be a free society. You wanna boycott, go ahead and do it. Where does it stop????? I don’t care how long somebody has been at their jobs… at some point, they become too old to justify their position. Since 1978??? maybe in this case, she should consider she’s had a good run and move on… it’s not like this is a corner diner. Blind pilots, infirm security people, agoraphobic tour guides, deaf 911 operators, unattractive movie stars, 70 year-old nightclub bouncers???… on and on. I don‘t think we should be able to legislate all of life’s “casting calls” to make everyone equal… there is plenty of money to be made by lawyers without having to resort to limiting what image a free enterprise business chooses to have.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:17amhey girls…wake up …old and chunky is not cool….
Report Post »Love Bandit Bestid
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:18amGood God, I hope they don’t unionize.
JHSinTN
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:44amHomer when the beer ran out.
Report Post »B4B
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:57pmRepubliCorp
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:36am
“”"So does Calvin Klein have to hire old fat models? Would Depends have to hire 20yr old actors?
Should corvette ads have 90 yr old ladies laying across the hood? Get real “”"
It’s one thing to not hire someone when applying for a position when they know the requirements going-in. It‘s quite different to FIRE someone who’s been doing a fine enough job to earn company awards just because you no-longer find them “sexy enough”.
Report Post »They are waitresses, not centerfolds. That’s as real as it gets.
JRook
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 12:53pmAh yes the new feminism. 40 year old single moms live in the tanning booths and get boob jobs, providing similar to their daughters before they are even out of high school. But hey don’t treat us like sex objects.
Report Post »Anti_Spock
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 9:11pmGet a real job. Flesh-meat is for idiots.
Report Post »Quack Addict
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 10:15pmMy grandma is sexy…meh!
Report Post »