Exotic dancers look to get their fair shake

Kim Ouwroulis and at least one other Toronto-based exotic dancer have launched a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission after they were terminated from the New Locomotion Club, allegedly, for being too old.

Ms. Ouwroulis has since found new employment at a different Toronto area club. It hasn’t stopped the demand for her story of her quest for justice.She continues to fight for her rights and her determination has recently caught the attention of international news outlets. For instance, Fox News recently debated the legitimacy of Kim’s termination.

Donna Seale, of Human Rights in the Workplace, raised a particularly interesting debate in her article about Ms. Ouwroulis’s predicament. Seale feels the complaint is especially interesting considering that Ouwroulis “alleges she was fired not because she was too old to do the job pe se… but because of her age she no longer exuded the appearance of the appeal that the club was wanting its dancers to portray”.

Now it is up to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal to decide; Is something as subjective as sex appeal important enough to be a major job requirement for exotic dancers? Or should we just leave it up to the patrons to decide?

Daniel A. Lublin is a Toronto Employment Lawyer specializing in the law of wrongful and constructive dismissal. He can be reached at [email protected].