BALTIMORE — Baltimore strip venue The Penthouse Club announced yesterday that it has reached a settlement with the city which would allow it to reopen, only days after the club sued the Maryland metropolis over COVID regulations that allegedly discriminated against adult entertainment.
According to a report by the local CBS news affiliate, “earlier this week, Andrew Alley of The Penthouse Club said he was suing the mayor and city council over the regulations which forced adult entertainment venues to close due to the pandemic.”
Alley and his lawyers alleged that the club’s First Amendment rights were being violated because “other indoor entertainment venues like bowling alleys and skating rinks were able to reopen.”
On Monday, Alley announced the lawsuit pointing out that “from massage parlors to casinos, everything’s open except us, so it been a real body blow to us, for obviously the business, but my staff is being crushed by this.”
“We’re collateral damage, and we have to fight back at some point,” Alley added.
Baltimore strip clubs were shut down by an executive order from Mayor Brandon Scott in December.
Last night, Alley’s lawyers said “both sides reached an agreement allowing the club to reopen in the very near future, while maintaining customer safety.”
The club released a statement saying it was “thrilled to be resuming live entertainment, and is ecstatic that their staff members will once again be able to return to work.”
Main Image: Dancers at The Penthouse Club, Baltimore (Photo: Penthouse Club)
