‘It’s a monumental win:’ Newly approved legislation increases required age to work in strip clubs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A federal court upheld legislation requiring strip club employees in Jacksonville to be at least 21 years old or older.

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More specifically, this legislation will now increase the age to work in a strip club from 18 to 21 years old in Jacksonville, after a federal court sided with legislation pushed by city councilwoman and mayoral candidate Leanna Cumber. The decision ruled against Wacko’s Too Inc., a company controlling more than one local strip club location in Jacksonville.

The Cumber campaign said the entire goal was to make young women less susceptible to human traffickers, who they said can exploit workers in the adult entertainment industry.

“There are girls today throughout our high schools who are being recruited to go dance in the strip clubs and being told at 15, 16, 17, 18 years old that their only path to success is through a strip club,” Cumber told Action News Jax on Tuesday with concern. “I know that not to be true.”

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This is also a sentiment that some of the Jacksonville community agrees with, as one father Action News Jax spoke to on Tuesday reiterated Cumber’s concerns.

“Young girls should not be working in such a place, so I agree with that,” said Mahnsan Nyenate.

However, not everyone agrees. One man Action News Jax spoke to off-camera Tuesday said he sees no issue with 18 as the age requirement, as an 18-year-old is a legal adult.

Nonetheless, Cumber hopes this legislation can serve as precedent for more laws like it across the nation.

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