Temptations, a strip club that Tarrant County officials are working to shut down over crime concerns, is suing the county, arguing that new regulations violate the club’s First Amendment right to offer strip shows.
In June, the county’s Sexually Oriented Business Board revoked Temptations’ license to operate as a strip club. Law enforcement, elected officials and nearby residents had lobbied to close Temptations, pointing to years of violent incidents there, including a May 28 shooting that killed one and injured three others. This week, a man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a double homicide at Temptations in 2018.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on July 14, argues that the county unfairly targeted Temptations.
“A substantial number of adult citizens will no longer be able to purchase, view and avail themselves of the constitutionally protected expression that [Temptations] sells and disseminates,” the lawsuit states.
During the incident on May 28, a customer started shooting in the parking lot, and a Temptations security guard shot and killed him, Fox 4 reported.
Having security on site showed “commitment to the safety of its patrons and neighbors,” so the shooting was no excuse to come after the club, the lawsuit argues.
The company that owns Temptations, RCI Hospitality Holdings, has a history of clashes with local governments in Texas. In 2020, Houston police raided an RCI strip club for reopening as a restaurant that happened to feature strippers, to avoid COVID restrictions. CEO Eric Langan sued the city, and a federal judge allowed him to reopen the club as a restaurant only, with no dancers.
The lawsuit also challenges the new regulations the county placed on sexually oriented businesses in unincorporated areas, calling them a vague, confusing overreach.
Those new regulations include a 1 a.m. closing time for sexually oriented businesses, which will deprive people of their right to go to the strip club – especially members of Gen Z, “who often do not begin their evenings out until after 11:00 p.m. and stay out well after 1:00 a.m.,” the lawsuit says.
It also argues the new regulations will hurt workers.
“In addition to the loss of their opportunity to engage in constitutionally protected expression, they will lose their livelihoods,” the lawsuit states.
On Friday, the county filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the new regulations are “valid and enforceable,” and the county has every right to go after businesses that make themselves public nuisances. It also pointed out that Temptations lost its permit because it was within 1,000 feet of residences.
The state’s public nuisance lawsuit to shut the venue down for good is still pending, court records show. Temptations has also filed suit in state court.
As of June, Temptations was one of three sexually oriented businesses in unincorporated Tarrant County, and the only strip club, according to County Commissioner Manny Ramirez. The other two are adult bookstores.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @MirandaRSuarez.
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