Gay Bar Precinct DTLA May Close Over Lawsuit by Straight Woman
A former employee claims she was underpaid, mistreated, and punished for complaining about sex acts at the bar.
Precinct DTLA, one of L.A.’s most prominent queer bars, says it’s in danger of closing due to slow business and a lawsuit from a former employee.
In an Instagram post, Precinct DTLA warned it is “in crisis.”
“We’re a couple of slow weekends away from having to close our doors,” the statement read. “Like many small businesses, we’ve taken hit after hit — from COVID shutdowns and ICE raids to citywide curfews and the ongoing decline of nightlife. But what we’re facing now is even more devastating.”
Precinct is being sued by a former employee who names the bar, its owner, and its management team as defendants. She claims she was discriminated against for being a heterosexual, cisgender white woman, and alleges broader bias against white employees. The bar has denied the allegations, calling them “completely false.”
According to them, Jessica Gonzales, a former cashier and coat check attendant, filed a lawsuit on May 16 in L.A. Superior Court bringing 17 claims against Precinct’s owners and management, including assault, wrongful termination, and sex discrimination.
Gonzales alleges that a coworker once grabbed a stress ball she brought to work and broke two of her fingers when she tried to retrieve it. She says management stopped scheduling her after she complained and later blamed her for “horseplay.”
Gonzales also claims she was denied wages for working coat check — in violation of California labor laws — after management eliminated the coat check fee at its weekly underwear party to encourage “more patrons to drop their pants.” She says the owner told her to “stop complaining” when she reported employees and patrons having sex at the bar.
Gonzales further alleges that a manager told her the bar wanted a gay male attendant to replace her, and commented that “as a white woman, her ‘time is up,'” according to the lawsuit. She is seeking financial damages and has requested a jury trial.
Precinct DTLA suggested in an Instagram post that there may be an ulterior motive behind the lawsuit.
“To make matters worse, the attorney representing the case, in our opinion, appears to have a clear anti-LGBTQ agenda. There are multiple reports — including from individuals who previously worked with him — that he used anti-LGBTQ slurs in written emails while at his former firm,” the post reads.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Gonzales is represented by John L. Barber, an employment attorney and former partner at the firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, which he left in 2023. After his departure, the firm released internal emails allegedly showing that Barber and his then-colleague Jeff Ranen regularly used racist and homophobic slurs at work — including “f*g” and “f****t” as what the Times described as “all-purpose insults.”
In response to a request for comment from the Times, Barber’s current partner, Nicole Davidson, declined to “debate or even acknowledge” the “false allegations” in Precinct DTLA’s Instagram post. She maintained that Gonzales “was wrongfully fired, retaliated against, and physically abused while employed” by the bar.
Precinct’s general manager, Jeremy Lucido, told KTLA the bar’s financial troubles began long before the lawsuit, as fewer people have been frequenting nightlife venues. He also cited ICE raids on local businesses and citywide curfews during protests, which disrupted operations for Precinct and other downtown establishments.
Initially, the bar didn’t ask for donations, but instead encouraged people to patronize the establishment.
“We’re doing everything we can to defend ourselves — but the legal battle is draining us emotionally and financially,” the bar wrote. “And we can’t do it alone. Instead of launching a GoFundMe or asking for donations, we’re asking something simpler: Come to the bar. Buy a drink. Order some food. Tip the staff. Show up. Precinct isn’t just a bar — it’s a queer community hub, and we feel the responsibility of that every day.”
In a follow-up post, the bar said it launched a GoFundMe campaign after receiving requests from former patrons who no longer live in L.A. or can’t visit in person. Supporters can also help by purchasing Precinct-branded merchandise.
The GoFundMe campaign set a $70,000 goal and has raised more than $52,000 to date.
Reaction to the story on social media has been mixed.
“Discriminates against white employees? I know that’s a lie lol most of the staff is white!” wrote one Instagram user in response to the bar’s post.
“We can’t lose yet another gay space in Los Angeles! May justice stand on your side! Sending love (and money),” posted another.
“Why is it that the straight WOMEN always whine!” one commenter wrote in response to an LGBTQ Nation Instagram post about the lawsuit. “Know YOUR PLACE IN OUR SAFE SPACE! You expect to come into our space and get preferential treatment. Well sorry, no you don’t. Even if you’re a worker. You come in and expect us to bow down to you. Again, NOPE! You don’t like it, don’t work there. Now because of YOU we [lose] a space that our community has known for years!”
Another Instagram user placed blame on the bar, urging others to read the details of the lawsuit.
“Eight year employee, no issues. New manager comes on, issues. Forced to work, for free, at coat check. Saw sexual encounters — illegal, fyi — complained, told to get over it. Brought a stress management device to work, taken from her, when she tried to get it back from employee, two fingers broken. Not paid wages for work. Fired and replaced with gay person who would be more ‘understanding.’
“If Precinct is a safe space, should it not be safe for her, too? Also, this is their SECOND GoFundMe to raise money, is this how they get out of a slump? They couldn’t have spent more than $20k yet as they are in Discovery. Also, lawsuit survived summary judgment, which means judge saw merit to case. So… as gay people are we so protective of our bars that we won’t give any credibility to the fact that it may be mismanaged?” the user added.
However, the overwhelming nature of the comments expressed sadness or anxiety over the prospect of losing an LGBTQ space.
“We CANNOT lose Precinct,” wrote an Instagram user, putting voice to those concerns. “This is terrible news but I believe our community can rally to keep Precinct open.”
Don’t miss stories about LGBTQ spaces and community news. Sign up for our free newsletter at www.metroweekly.com/subscribe.
More from Metro Weekly:
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.