June 6, 2025
Chanel Nicholson, an exotic dancer based in Houston, brought suit against two clubs alleging racial discrimination against Black women.
A Houston exotic dancer will not have her racial discrimination case against multiple Houston strip clubs heard before the Supreme Court.
Chanel Nicholson brought suit against two clubs, Splendor and Covergirls, in 2021. The Supreme Court declined to review the case as plaintiffs have four years to file grievances of racial discrimination after the time of the incident. Nicholson’s filing argued the last act of discrimination was within the four-year window. However, the discrimination began in 2013.
The court majority stated the first instance was when her filing clock began. “Nicholson’s claims are time-barred because there were earlier instances of discriminatory treatment,’ the opinion read.
Both Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonya Sotomayor dissented, stating there was a basis to file as the last instance of discrimination took place in 2021. For that reason, Nicholson filed within the proper time frame. Jackson also asserted that to deny her right to pursue the case was an “erroneous conclusion.”
“Chanel Nicholson alleges that she was prohibited from entering her workplace on account of her race. Nicholson needed to file her §1981 suit within four years of those discriminatory acts—which she did. As such, §1981’s statute of limitations should have posed no barrier to Nicholson obtaining judicial review of her claims. In my view, the Court should have granted Nicholson’s petition and summarily reversed the Fifth Circuit’s patently erroneous conclusions about the untimeliness of her claims.”
Nicholson’s case arrived at the Supreme Court’s desk as a result of being denied by the Fifth Circuit Court of New Orleans. She claims she was denied employment and stage time in the Houston night lounges due to race. She also claims the clubs limited the number of Black women allowed on stage at one time and refused to hire Black women after reaching a quota.
While federal law mandates racial equity claims be brought forth within four years, there is no maximum time allotment for claims of hostile work environments. As of now, Nicholson has not made that claim against the establishments.
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