In 1975, David Harlowe, a Fayetteville Attorney, filed a federal lawsuit against the District Attorney, the Wilmington Mayor, and the Wilmington Police Chief on behalf of William King and Rosie Lee Cowart. King, the manager of The Swingers, and Rosie, a dancer at Swingers, claim that the city’s ordinance that bans anyone under 21 from dancing in a topless bar is unconstitutional. Cowart, who is 19, was arrested the previous month for violating this ordinance. However, King argues she is not a dancer and was just waiting tables. The suit alleges that the ordinance discriminates on the basis of age, sex, and vocation. The suit contends that Cowart “is by training and experience a professional dancer” and has been forced to accept work as a cocktail waitress at a substantially reduced wage.
Topless Lawsuit (1975)
