Dancers at a Washington strip club are suing to prevent officials from releasing their names and addresses due to a public records request. Because most strippers are required to have an entertainer's license , their identities are on the record.
Two unnamed dancers filed the complaint against Pierce County, on behalf of about 70 dancers and managers at Dreamgirls at Fox's, as well as any former dancers. They are asking county officials not to release copies of their business licenses, and
thus real identities, to a man who has filed a public records request for that information. Gilbert H. Levy, an attorney for the dancers, acknowledged that the information can legally be released under the state's Public Records Act, but that the
entertainers have free-speech, privacy and safety interests in keeping the licenses and their true identities confidential. The request from for copies of all adult entertainment licenses on file for Dreamgirls at Fox's did not list a reason for
the filing. Elizabeth Nolan Brown at Reason.com speculated that it's entirely likely the person who wants this information is a crazy stalker or an anti-sex nutjob. Maybe both. Maybe merely a blackmailer or a 4chan-er. At any rate, it's hard to
imagine many non-nefarious reasons for requesting personal information on a wide swath of individuals in a sensitive job. |