Stripper Site OK'd for Dancers' Notice of Lawsuit Dollars

When companies resolve class-action suits, they typically tell people about the settlement by postcard or in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today or the New York Times. Stripper Web or Xtreme magazine weren't the usual vehicles for delivering the news -- until now. A federal judge in New York approved the parties' plan to use those publications to notify 1,245 current and former exotic dancers of an $8 million settlement in a wage and hour class action against Manhattan's Penthouse Executive Club. The agreement would resolve a group of suits, first filed in 2009, over claims the Penthouse Club shortchanged dancers by classifying them as independent contractors rather than employees. The club also owes dancers minimum wage and overtime pay, the dancers claimed. U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood, who preliminarily approved the deal April 29, signed off on a plan by the parties yesterday to use Stripper Web, an online forum that includes reviews of strip clubs, and Xtreme, whose website promises “Sexy Models and Cool Cars in Every Issue!” Wood's one-page order was made public today. The Stripper Web and Xtreme notices will supplement settlement alerts to the last known address of each dancer in the class, according to court papers. Stripper Web didn't respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the plan. A phone call to Xtreme wasn't returned. Link: [view link]