By Tessa Roy, WPRO News
An iconic Providence strip club has been effectively shut down by the city’s Board of Licences.
Three Foxy Lady employees were arrested on prostitution charges in an undercover police sting last week, prompting the board to order it closed. A handful of hearings were held until the final decision to revoke all of the club’s licenses was made on Wednesday.
“This is a case where a lot of people are now out of work and they’re put in a very bad position because the licensee failed to maintain its premises,” said Board Chairman Dylan Conley. Conley added that the decision to shutter the Foxy Lady was made partially because the club did not provide a correction plan following the arrests.
Police previously said it appeared the club had knowledge of prostitution occurring, though management said that wasn’t the case. Board Commissioner Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan didn’t buy those denials.
“It’s bothering me to say as a business owner, this kind of business, that you had no idea, and hearing you say it, it’s like outrageous, like ‘oh it’s the girls’ fault, they wanted to do it on their own, we had no idea,’” she said. “I in no way, shape, or form say anything about the women. It’s about the business owners. If you really, really, really care about this, you should be more attentive to making sure it doesn’t happen.”
A group of people shouted at board members after Wednesday’s decision was made, calling them “insane” and scolding them for putting club employees out of work during the holidays. Foxy Lady’s lawyer declined to speak to reporters, but briefly told Channel 12 it’s likely the club will appeal the board’s decision.
The Rhode Island ACLU quickly blasted the board’s decision, calling it “blatantly sexist.” Earlier in the day, advocacy group COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) urged officials to drop the charges against the employees who were arrested.
“Moralistic raids on sex workers trying to provide for themselves will not ‘save’ them, but rather will contribute to long-term harm and their continued marginalization. Arrests like these don’t stop crime, but instead only create more victims,” COYOTE said in a statement.
Police previously said they began investigating Foxy Lady weeks ago after another woman working there reported that she was sexually assaulted by a male patron.
