Fired Casino Workers Sue for Age and Sex Discrimination

Cocktail servers Jessica Ruiz, Kerly Duran and
Keiona Robbins pose in their Roaring '20s
 costumes at the hotel in Atlantic City, N.J

Seven of the 16 waitresses fired from Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City after posing for the company in skimpy new flapper costumes are suing, claiming age and sex discrimination. Resorts says the reason for the firings was for "violating uniform standards.” The workers suspect that management wanted to get rid of older women who were judged not sexy enough to fit in with the casino’s new image.

The women, all long-time employees in their 40s, 50s and 60s, were told to go into a room and try on the new flapper-style uniforms so they could be photographed.

Nancy Schromsky, one of the fired waitresses, said the uniforms were strewn on the floor and were all sizes two and four. A modeling agency representing the casino later told the 16 they were fired.

“It was very degrading to women,” said fired waitress Kathryn Felici, 53. “I feel they never gave me a chance. We had no idea that photo shoot was fighting for our jobs.”

The casinos management defended their actions, calling the process “fair and objective”. They said they also offered the women other positions in the casino, although some of the women claim they were not offered other employment options.

 In 2008, two former cocktail servers at Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa settled a multimillion-dollar sex discrimination lawsuit they brought against the casino. They claimed the casino humiliated costumed waitresses, known as "Borgata Babes," by imposing weight limits, encouraging breast augmentation surgery and emphasizing looks over job performance.

Instant Replay: Atlantic City Casino Workers Fired Because of "Skimpy Uniforms"