Olivia Rose, a former manager and bartender at Marsha’s, a gay-run women’s sports bar in Philadelphia, says she called the police after she was fired. She accuses the bar’s owner and manager of perpetuating transphobia and misogyny and retaliating against her after she spoke out.
In the early days of social media videoRose said Marsha fired her because she accused general manager Rylan Murphy, a white transgender man, of creating a “hostile work environment” for employees he didn’t like.
She said women and non-binary employees were overly sensitive and “too emotional” and accused her of wanting to hire more men to work behind bars because they needed “more testosterone.”
Rose accused management of hiring white staff, assigning them to events meant for people of color, and making insensitive comments about patrons, tipping habits and the overall atmosphere, which he described as “ghetto.” She also claimed that the owners changed the music because it was “too black” and ordered her to play music by white artists instead.
Rose said he met with Murphy a week before he was fired and expressed concerns about derogatory comments, micromanagement and harassment. She claimed he yelled at her for long hours instead of having a discussion and cut her shifts in retaliation.
rose said philadelphia gay news She reportedly called owner Chivon Anderson to share her concerns about Murphy’s behavior.
When she arrived for her next shift, she was given a notice of termination stating that she was being terminated “due to continued non-compliance with the company’s business practices and standards.”
Rose received the highest score in a six-month review conducted just a month before her dismissal, but was never given a written or verbal warning. Instead, she was praised for her “honest and open communication” and “professionalism and caring.” she said PGN She believes she was fired for complaining about the workplace culture.
Rose said she asked to speak with Anderson about the reasons for her termination, but was told no such conversation would take place. She said Anderson threatened to call the police and then picked up the phone after Rose demanded answers about her termination. Rose said she left before police arrived but returned the next evening to stage a protest outside Marcia’s home. She said police were called again and lingered, but eventually left without speaking directly.
A spokesperson for Marsha’s disputed many of Rose’s claims, saying she was guaranteed four to five shifts a week and was never cut off in retaliation.
“When Ms. Rose raised her concerns with GM, GM took her concerns seriously and informed her that they would investigate the harassment allegations,” the spokesperson said. PGN.
A spokesperson said the bar association does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and maintains a policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment based on characteristics such as gender identity or sexual orientation.
“Marsha’s does not make hiring, firing or promotion decisions based on gender or gender identity,” the spokesperson said.
The bar also disputed Rose’s claims about atmosphere and music, saying, “Marsha’s does not consider any particular type of music to be ‘too black’ or ‘ghetto’.” Marsha’s strives to play music that makes patrons feel comfortable. Music changes depending on the time of day and event. ”
Finally, the court took issue with Rose’s employment history and explanation for her termination, saying she had received multiple warnings for alleged violations that “interfered with her ability to properly perform her managerial duties.” The statement said Rose could only be fired if he failed to change his behavior.
The spokesperson also said that when Anderson spoke with Rose about the termination, Rose “reacted by yelling racial slurs and other derogatory remarks.”
“When Ms. Rose’s actions became a nuisance to other Marsha’s staff and patrons, Ms. Anderson asked her to leave the premises. In response, Ms. Rose stated that she would not leave the premises and continued to yell at Ms. Anderson and her staff,” the spokesperson said in a statement. PGN read. “Anderson advised Rose that if Rose refused to leave, Anderson would need to contact law enforcement to vacate the premises. When Rose left alone, Anderson followed up with law enforcement and advised them that he was no longer needed. Law enforcement did not arrive at Marcia’s home until Rose voluntarily left the premises.”
“Mr. Rose returned later that same day with a megaphone and continued to shout false statements about Mr. Marsha,” the statement continued. “When Rose came back, Anderson did not call the police. If there were police when Rose was outside with a megaphone, it was because there were often police on South Street.”
rose said PGN She has not yet filed a formal complaint with the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission, but is exploring options to hold the bar’s owners and operators accountable.
Anderson, who is black and queer, video Instagram responded to Rose’s claims.
“Recently, a former employee of our company publicly made false statements about my business and what it stands for. These statements could not be further from the truth,” Anderson said, noting that the bar is held to a “different standard” as a safe space for the queer community, particularly Black and transgender people.
Ahead of Anderson’s video, the bar issued a statement saying it had received feedback that some black gay and transgender patrons did not feel safe or respected in the space, and had begun an “independent review” into these concerns, including the behavior of staff and how complaints were handled. The attorney said he will also work with third-party relationship consultants and DEI experts to address the issue.
Since Marcia’s initial statement, Rose has made additional posts video She accused her attorney of not addressing her specific allegations and failing to respond to the allegations made in Anderson’s Instagram video.
Another former employee, Seisha Mason, a biracial woman undergoing cancer treatment, said: PGN After she was fired on April 12, she filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Philadelphia. She said she was treated poorly, faced retaliation for raising concerns, and had questions about her termination go unanswered.
In response, a spokesperson for Marsha’s said Mr Mason had not been made redundant, but had been moved from his role as a line cook to a position in the bar’s catering department. Mr. Mason initially accepted the role, but later resigned before taking the position, a spokesperson said.
Reddit user “JosieGodzilla,” who identified herself as a current employee, posted similar complaints about scheduling and pay issues at the bar. The user also claimed the head chef misgendered a staff member and raised concerns about Mr Murphy’s behavior.
A spokesperson for Marsha rejected any claims of wage theft, telling PGN:[a]Past and present staff are paid up-to-date salaries. There was never any wage theft and all documentation was shared with the Philadelphia Department of Labor. ”
In a statement on April 24, a spokesperson said the bar’s general manager, possibly Mr. Murphy, has since resigned.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
