Hostess Sues Over Noise

A New York City nightclub is headed to court with a former hostess who’s filed suit claiming she suffered hearing loss from the venue’s booming tunes.

Aspiring actress Margaret Clemente began working at celebrity hot spot Lavo in October 2010, and over time began to notice she had trouble hearing in one ear.

“When I talk to people, it sounds like mumbling,” she told the New York Post. “I really struggle to hear.”

She noted it got harder and harder to communicate on the job, which required she wear a radio earpiece. And after she visited an audiologist who confirmed she had “extreme difficulty hearing,” the situation at work apparently got worse.

Clemente requested to be moved to a quieter section of the club but says her complaints were ignored. Her lawsuit, obtained by the Post, claims management refused to provide hearing aids to staffers and only offered employees earplugs after a newspaper exposed the club’s “dangerously high decibel levels.”

OSHA laws specify employers must provide workers with ear protection when exposing them to high noise levels.

The suit also alleges management began “acting out against [Clemente] due to her recently diagnosed disability” in September. She eventually left her position at the club, where she reportedly earned $42 per hour plus $500 in tips each night.

Clemente is suing for an undisclosed amount in damages.