Former Lizzo backup dancers Crystal Williams, Noelle Rodriguez, and Arianna Davis are suing Lizzo (aka Melissa Jefferson), Shirlene Quigley (Dance team captain), and ‘Big Grrrl Big Touring’ Inc. for -
Hostile Work Environment
Failure to prevent and/or remedy a hostile work environment
Religious harassment
Failure to prevent and/or remedy religious harassment
Racial harassment
Disability discrimination
International interference with prospective economic advantage
Assault
False Imprisonment
Shirlene Quigley reportedly was very vocal about religious beliefs during practices and remarked on personal details about Davis’s virginity and Rodriguez’s disbelief in Christianity. While on tour, Rodriguez says that Quigley pressured her publicly to lead a group prayer, even after Rodriguez had refused.
Tour bus drivers for ‘Big Grrrl Big Touring’ were reported to have made inappropriate comments and played sexually explicit music for the passengers; all three defendants say they filed complaints against drivers, but management did not act. In Amsterdam, an outing in the Red Light District led to Davis being pressured into interacting with an erotic performer despite voicing discomfort; a security guard hired by Lizzo was also pressured to strip and perform for the group. In Paris, another outing was planned by Lizzo. Unknown to the group, this outing was to a nude cabaret bar; the entertainment took aback the team members who attended the outing.
Dancers were placed on “soft holds,” which implied that dancers could not seek employment elsewhere during the breaks between tours. The three defendants say this created a financial dependence on the income generated from Lizzo, making it harder for dancers to feel like they could voice concerns. The defendants stated that they (and other dancers) had tried establishing a retainer during the “soft holds” with management for financial stability. It was poorly received and sparked tension with management and Lizzo against dancers such as the defendants.
Tension reached a boiling point when Lizzo met with the dance team, stressing that their jobs were unsafe and they would have a re-auditioning process. This process was stated to be so intense that Davis had an accident during the session. After Davis had recorded a meeting to take notes, Lizzo and Quigley confronted her on why she recorded the meeting. Davis stated she has a disability and needed to take notes to listen back and digest the information. Shortly after this incident, Davis was fired. Rodriguez then protested this move, which also led to her being terminated.
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