In August 2016, Claire Wasserman started an organization, Ladies Get Paid[1], based in New York City, for women to swap career and leadership tips.
“The lack of women in leadership roles disturbed me and I was craving a space where women could support one another by openly sharing their professional struggles,” her website states. She recently produced a conference for 150 women and has over 20,000 who connect through her network.
Today, however, she faces tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees after settling lawsuits with several men who sued her organization for excluding them from its events. “I never once thought what I was doing was controversial or offensive,” Wasserman said. “I feel like my world exploded.”
George St. George vs. Ladies Get Paid—among other organizations and individuals related to the event—and Rich Allison vs. Red Door Epicurean, Ladies Get Paid and Claire Wasserman, both claimed the defendants violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act, a California anti-discrimination law.
Wasserman, 31, and Ladies Get Paid eventually settled with Rava’s clients, in February. In order to pay their legal fees, Wasserman and her partner Ashley Louise have turned to crowdfunding. So far they have raised about $50,000 toward their $100,000 goal[2].
If they can’t raise the money, they’ll go out of business, Wasserman said.
Two men tried to gain access to the events
Problems arose in 2017 when two of the chapters of Ladies Get Paid in San Diego and Santa Monica planned events at a restaurant and a local business office. The events were advertised as being for women, including trans women, and non-binary individuals. And, specifically, their invitations said men would not be allowed.
After the event in San Diego, the restaurant and bar hosting the get-together received a notification that a lawsuit had been filed against it. A man, Rich Allison, claimed he had tried to attend the Ladies Get Paid event, but was turned away.
Wasserman was “stunned,” she said. Not long after, Ladies Get Paid hosted a similar event in Santa Monica. That event was also advertised as being for women and non-binary individuals, with men not permitted. Once again, a man tried to attend, but was not admitted and was refunded for his ticket.
Courtesy of Claire Wasserman
The lawsuit alleged discrimination based on gender
Attorney Alfred Rava, who represented clients George St. George and Rich Allison, has been involved in about 300 different sex discrimination cases. St. George wanted to attend the event because, Rava said, it was advertised to address work and family pressures. And he also wanted to make a point.
“He wanted to see if the supposedly pro-diversity Ladies Get Paid would actually have the audacity or stupidity—some people in the progressive state of California, ground zero for...