Olivia Rhodes, a former manager and bartender at Marsha’s, a queer-owned women’s sports bar in Philadelphia, says police were called on her after she was fired. She accuses the bar’s owners and managers of perpetuating transphobia and misogyny and retaliating against her after she spoke out.

In an initial social media video, Rhodes said Marsha’s fired her after she accused general manager Rylan Murphy of creating a “hostile work environment” for employees he did not like.

She accused him of saying the women and nonbinary employees were overly sensitive and “too emotional,” and of wanting to hire more men to work behind the bar because it needed “more testosterone.”

Rhodes accused management of hiring white staff members and assigning them to events for people of color, where they allegedly made insensitive comments about patrons, tipping habits, or the overall vibe, which they described as “ghetto.” She further alleged that ownership ordered her to change the music because it was “too Black” and to play music by white artists instead.

Rhodes said she met with Murphy a week before she was fired to raise concerns about belittling comments, micromanaging, and harassment. She claimed he yelled at her for an extended period instead of engaging in a discussion, then cut her shifts in retaliation.

Rhodes told the Philadelphia Gay News that she called owner Chivonn Anderson to share her concerns about Murphy’s alleged behavior.

When she showed up for her next shift, she was handed a termination notice stating she was being let go “due to a continued misalignment with the company’s operating practices and standards.”

Rhodes received top marks in her six-month review just a month before her termination and was never given any written or verbal warnings. She was instead praised for her “honest and open communication” and her “professionalism and care.” She told PGN she believes she was fired for complaining about the workplace culture.

Rhodes said she asked to speak with Anderson about why she was being fired, but was told there would be no such conversation. She said Anderson then threatened to call the police, picking up the phone after Rhodes demanded an answer for her firing. Rhodes said she left before police arrived, but returned the next evening to protest outside Marsha’s. She said police were called again and lingered, but eventually left without speaking to her directly.

A spokesperson for Marsha’s disputed many of Rhodes’ claims, saying she was guaranteed four to five shifts per week and never had her shifts cut as retaliation.

“When Rhodes brought her concerns to the GM, he took her concerns seriously and notified her that he would investigate the alleged harassment,” the spokesperson told PGN.

The spokesperson noted that the bar does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and maintains a policy prohibiting it based on characteristics, including gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Marsha’s does not make decisions to hire, fire or promote employees based on sex or gender identity,” the spokesperson said.

The bar also disputed Rhodes’ claims about the atmosphere and music: “Marsha’s does not view any particular type of music as ‘too Black’ or too ‘ghetto.’ Marsha’s strives to play music that makes their patrons feel comfortable. Music shifts according to the time of day and events.”

Finally, the bar disputed Rhodes’ account of her job record and firing, saying she had received multiple warnings for infractions that allegedly “interfered with her ability to successfully carry out her managerial duties.” The statement said Rhodes was fired only after she failed to alter her behavior.

The spokesperson also said that when Anderson spoke with Rhodes about her termination, Rhodes allegedly “reacted by shouting racial slurs and other derogatory statements.”

“When Rhodes’ behavior became disruptive to the other staff and patrons of Marsha’s, Anderson asked her to vacate the property. In response, Rhodes stated she would not leave the property and continued shouting at Anderson and her staff,” the spokesperson’s statement to PGN read. “Anderson advised Rhodes that if she refused to leave, Anderson would have to contact law enforcement to get her to vacate the property. When Rhodes left on her own, Anderson followed up with law enforcement to advise them they no longer were needed. Law enforcement never arrived at Marsha’s before Rhodes voluntarily left the property.

“Rhodes returned later the same day with a megaphone, yelling false statements about Marsha’s,” the statement continued. “Anderson did not call the police when Rhodes returned. If there were police present when Rhodes was outside with a megaphone, it is because South Street often has a police presence.”

Rhodes told PGN she has not yet filed a formal complaint with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations but is exploring her options for holding the bar’s owner and management responsible.

Anderson, who is Black and queer, posted a video to Instagram responding to Rhodes’ allegations.

“Recently, a former employee of ours has publicly made false statements regarding my business and what it stands for. These statements could not be further from the truth,” Anderson says, noting the bar is held to a “different standard” as a safe space for the queer community, especially Black and trans people.

Prior to Anderson’s video, the bar issued a statement saying it had received feedback that some Black queer and trans patrons did not feel safe or respected in its space, and that it had launched an “independent review” of those concerns, including staff conduct and how complaints are handled. The bar said it would also work with a third-party human relations consultant and a DEI expert to address the issues.

Since Marsha’s initial statement, Rhodes has posted additional videos accusing the bar of failing to address her specific allegations and responding to claims made in Anderson’s Instagram video.

Another former employee, Seisha Mason, a biracial bisexual woman undergoing cancer treatment, told PGN she filed a complaint with Philadelphia’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after being fired on April 12. She said she was treated poorly, faced retaliation for raising concerns, and received no response to questions about her firing.

In response, a Marsha’s spokesperson said Mason was not terminated but moved from her role as a line cook to a position in the bar’s catering department. The spokesperson said Mason initially accepted the role but later resigned before starting.

A Reddit user, “JosieGodzilla,” claiming to be a current employee, posted similar complaints about scheduling and wage issues at the bar. The user also alleged that the head chef misgendered staff and raised concerns about Murphy’s alleged conduct.

A Marsha’s spokesperson rejected any claims of wage theft, telling PGN that “[a]ll past and current staff have been paid up to date. There was never any wage theft, and all paperwork has been shared with Philadelphia’s Department of Labor.”

In an April 24 statement, the spokesperson said the bar’s general manager — presumably Murphy — has since resigned.

Editor’s note: This story was edited to remove a reference to a person’s alleged gender identity. Metro Weekly regrets this error.