Cleveland Ave. Restaurant $800,000 Settlement, Check If You Qualify, Hogan v. Cleveland Ave. Restaurant, Inc., No. 2:15-cv-2883

If you danced at Cheeks, Top Hat, House of Babes, Private Dancer, Fantasyland West, or Sirens in Ohio between 2014 and 2025 — you were not imagining it. Six clubs agreed to pay $800,000 after dancers said they were forced to sign “lease” contracts, paid zero wages, and charged rent just to work a shift. You have until October 20, 2026, to file a claim.

Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Dancer Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	$800,000
Claim Deadline	October 20, 2026
Who Qualifies	Dancers who worked at Cheeks, Top Hat, House of Babes, Private Dancer, Fantasyland West, or Sirens under the Entertainer Tenant System, May 14, 2014 – June 16, 2025
Estimated Payout	Pro-rata share of the net fund; varies by hours/tenure claimed
Proof Required	No — claim form only, no receipts needed
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; Final Approval Hearing set for Dec. 1, 2026
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio, Eastern Division, No. 2:15-cv-2883
Law Alleged	Fair Labor Standards Act, Ohio wage law, antitrust price-fixing, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment
Administrator	Atticus Administration
Official Claim Site	www.OhioStripClubCase.com
Last Updated	August 22, 2026

Who Are the Defendants and Why Are They Being Sued Over Unpaid Wages?

Six Ohio clubs — Cheeks, Top Hat, House of Babes, Private Dancer, Fantasyland West, and Sirens — are named alongside their owners and managers. So are two trade groups, the Buckeye Association of Club Executives and The Owners Coalition, plus an individual named Greg Flaig. That last detail is the key to the whole case: Flaig allegedly created a standardized “Entertainer Tenant System” and lease contract that got passed around to competing clubs across the state, all treating dancers the same illegal way.

What Did These Clubs Do to Dancers Between 2014 and 2025?

Jessica Hogan and DeJha Valentine, both former dancers at Sirens, filed this case back in 2015. Their claim was direct: instead of paying wages, these clubs had dancers sign a “Lease Agreement” that called them tenants renting stage space — not employees. Under that setup, dancers paid the club to work, not the other way around.

Here’s what makes this case different from a typical single-employer wage claim. The plaintiffs argued this wasn’t six clubs independently making the same bad call. It was a shared system, built by one person and pushed out to rival businesses through two industry associations — which is why antitrust and civil conspiracy claims sit alongside the standard wage violations. Six competing clubs allegedly agreeing to treat their workforce the same illegal way isn’t something you see in most wage cases.

Related case worth comparing: the Grubhub $24.75M misclassification settlement covers similar ground — workers paying their own costs while being denied employee status.

Who Qualifies for the Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Dancers who worked at any of the six named clubs between May 14, 2014, and June 16, 2025
• Anyone who signed the Entertainer Tenant Space Lease Agreement or a similar contract at one of these clubs
• Dancers formally treated as “tenants leasing space” rather than employees
• People who were not paid wages by the club during that classification period

Club owners, managers, and other non-dancer staff don’t qualify. If you were paid actual wages as a W-2 employee during your time there, you likely fall outside the class.

Dancers Outside Ohio — Are You Still Covered?

This settlement covers work performed specifically at these Ohio locations — West Carrollton, Columbus, Mansfield, and Bucyrus. It doesn’t matter where you live now. If you danced at one of these six clubs during the class period, your current address doesn’t affect your eligibility.

Not sure if you qualify for the Cleveland Ave. Restaurant dancer settlement? A free consultation with a wage and hour employment attorney can help before the October 20 deadline. For general background on your rights in a case like this, see our guide on filing a wage and hour complaint.

How Much Can Dancers in This Settlement Get?

Your payout comes from the $800,000 fund after attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, and two service awards are deducted. Class counsel is asking for one-third of the settlement — that works out to $266,666.67 — plus reimbursement of costs advanced during the case. Hogan and Valentine, the two named plaintiffs, are each seeking a $5,000 service award for representing the class.

What’s left gets split among everyone who files a valid claim. More filers means smaller individual checks, since this is a fixed pool split by valid claims, not a per-person guarantee.

Beyond the Cash: What Else Changes

This settlement isn’t only about money owed for the past. Starting 30 days after final approval, the clubs have to permanently stop using the Entertainer Tenant System and stop charging dancers “rent” to work. Flaig and the two trade groups can’t keep spreading that contract template to other clubs either. And going forward, dancers get an actual choice — classified as an employee with real wage protections, or a genuine independent contractor, not whatever label a club finds convenient. Clubs can’t pressure dancers toward the independent contractor option.

Payments over $600 may show up on a 1099. Talk to a tax professional before you spend it.

How to File Your Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to www.OhioStripClubCase.com and find the claim form login
2. Enter your name, contact information, and which club(s) you worked at
3. Confirm the dates you worked under the lease/tenant system
4. Submit and save your confirmation number
5. Watch email — the administrator, Atticus Administration, may follow up with questions
6. If mailing instead: send your completed form to Atticus Administration, PO Box 64053, St. Paul, MN 55164

Takes about 10 minutes. No receipts or documentation required — just accurate dates and location.

The deadline is October 20, 2026. That’s just under 60 days from today — plenty of time, but don’t let it slip.

Should You Opt Out or Object Before October 20, 2026?

What Opting Out Actually Means

If you opt out, you get no payment from this fund, but you keep the right to sue these clubs yourself over the same claims. Most dancers won’t benefit from opting out, since this settlement also secures FLSA rights that a solo lawsuit would have to prove from scratch. The deadline is October 20, 2026.

How to Object to the Settlement

You can stay in the class and still tell the court what bothers you about the deal. Objections go directly to the plaintiffs’ attorneys — Biller & Kimble in Cincinnati — and must be filed by October 20, 2026, following the format the notice spells out.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before October 20 if you’re weighing either move.

Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Notice Issued	~July 22, 2026 (90 days before claim deadline)
Claims Period Opens	~July 22, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	October 20, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	October 20, 2026
Objection Deadline	October 20, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	December 1, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — official notice gives no fixed date after final approval

Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Dancer Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 2:15-cv-2883

Do I need a lawyer to file a Cleveland Ave. Restaurant settlement claim? 

No. The claim form process is designed for dancers to complete on their own, online or by mail.

Is the Cleveland Ave. Restaurant settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s a court-supervised case, No. 2:15-cv-2883, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, administered by Atticus Administration.

When will Cleveland Ave. Restaurant settlement payments be sent? 

After the December 1, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and any resulting appeal period — the exact payment date hasn’t been confirmed in the official notice.

What if I missed the Cleveland Ave. Restaurant claim deadline?

 If October 20, 2026 passes without a filed claim, you lose the cash payment, though you’re still automatically covered by the non-monetary relief — the clubs still have to stop using the lease system regardless.

Will my Cleveland Ave. Restaurant settlement payment go on a 1099? 

Possibly, for payments over $600. Check with a tax advisor about your specific amount.

Does my club have to stop the “lease” system even if I don’t file a claim?

 Yes. That part of the settlement applies to all class members automatically, whether or not you submit a claim form.

What if I already filed to sue on my own? 

Contact the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Biller & Kimble or Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, directly to understand how this settlement affects a separate claim.

Why are two trade associations named as defendants alongside the clubs?

 The lawsuit alleges the Buckeye Association of Club Executives and The Owners Coalition helped spread the same illegal lease system across multiple competing clubs.

Sources Used in This Cleveland Ave. Restaurant Article

• Official Court-Approved Notice of Proposed Settlement, Case No. 2:15-cv-2883: https://www.ohiostripclubcase.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Hogan-v-Cleveland-Ave-Restaurant-Inc_Full-Notice.pdf
• Official Settlement FAQ: https://www.ohiostripclubcase.com/faqs-2/
• Official Claim Form Portal: https://www.ohiostripclubcase.com/claim-form-login/

Related coverage: Grubhub $24.75M misclassification settlement · How to file a wage and hour complaint

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Notice of Proposed Settlement and FAQ page from Atticus Administration, as of August 22, 2026. Last Updated: August 22, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.