Neck Stabbing for Turning Down a Lap Dance

PHILADELPHIA (CN) — Turning down a lap dance from an intoxicated stripper proved life-changing for a Philadelphia man.

In a lawsuit against Atlantis Gentleman's Club, he claims the enraged woman "grabbed a glass, broke the glass, and stabbed [him] in the neck."

The strip-club patron identifies himself by name in the Oct. 12 complaint, but Courthouse News has redacted it in this article because of the sensitive nature of the claims. His alleged attacker is not named as a defendant, and Courthouse News has redacted her name as well, lacking confirmation about whether she faced criminal charges over the incident.

As for the Atlantis, which is the only named defendant to the suit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, a manager on duty Thursday did not return a phone call seeking comment.

The 11-page complaint says the attack occurred at the Chestnut Street strip club on July 23, 2016.

Having already "rebuked" the worker's repeated offers for a private dance, the plaintiff says he and the friend he was with rebuffed her requests for a tip.

The stab wound suffered by the suddenly "irate" dancer left the plaintiff bleeding profusely from his neck, according to the complaint.

After undergoing emergency surgery to treat the three-inch laceration, the plaintiff says he now has a permanent scar.

Meantime, according to the complaint, Atlantis knew its employee was violent.

The plaintiff says another worker confided in him and his friend after the stabbing that "Atlantis had previously fired [the plaintiff's attacker] due to her erratic and tumultuous behavior."

"The same employee said he did not understand why [the dancer] was rehired by Atlantis," the complaint continues.

Saying his attacker "has a reputation in the community for being assaultive," the plaintiff notes she "had a previous conviction for assault in Pennsylvania."

Compounding this evidence, according to the complaint, Atlantis also knew the woman "regularly became intoxicated on the job."

On the night of the stabbing, the plaintiff says his attacker had either been drinking alcohol or using narcotics.

Seeking punitive damages, the plaintiff says he was "greatly inconvenienced, humiliated and traumatized" by the club's negligence.

The plaintiff is represented by Gabriel Levin and Brian Zeiger with Levin & Zeiger.

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