An exclusive nightclub frequented by high rollers faces bombshell allegations of sex assault, harassment and grooming along with copious drug use enabled by CCTV ‘blind spots’.
Level 6, located in the Sydney CBD as part of the Ivy-branded cluster of venues owned by billionaire Justin Hemmes as part of the giant Merivale group, was ‘one step short of being a brothel’, an unnamed manager told Nine newspapers.
Staff at the ritzy venue, where membership costs $10,000 a year, have detailed allegations of sexual assault and being pressured into pleasing the largely wealthy male clientele.
In return, the hand-picked bevy of glamorous young women, mostly aged between 18 and 21, employed as ‘hosts’ would take home Gucci handbags and up to $600 in tips for a couple of nights’ work.
The raunchy tone of the club is established by the decor and furnishings including a photo of a half-naked woman with the word ‘Dreamlover’ tattooed across her chest as well as a stripper’s pole.
Poker chips are decorated with a woman in red lingerie bending over.
An unnamed staff member told Nine newspapers that workers were ‘expressly told’ they could not refuse a guest who wanted to buy them a drink.
Another said when senior Merivale staff were in the venue drunk and or high, staff would be ‘pressured’ into drinking with them, and it was ‘very difficult’ to say no.
Level 6, an exclusive nightclub located in the Sydney CBD, faces bombshell allegations of turning a blind eye to sex assault, harassment and drug use
One host claimed a senior staff member would throw her on the couch and put his hand up her skirt grabbing her underwear.
She claimed another asked her: ‘Why have we never f***ed?’
‘I was disgusted. I couldn’t believe it. This is my place of work and this is happening. You certainly didn’t feel like you could do anything about it,’ the host was quoted as saying.
In a separate incident, another senior staff member allegedly forced himself onto the host so hard it winded her.
It is also alleged a senior staff member took two women home and locked them in is house, pressuring them to take cocaine and trying to drag one into a bedroom.
When the pair tried to leave he allegedly ran in front of their car with the women only eventually escaping when he passed out.
It was also claimed a VIP guest pushed a staff member into the bathroom to use cocaine and ripped open her top.
When she raised the incident with management she was allegedly told: ‘Don’t beat yourself up about it. It happened, now just move on.’
The venue, which has a terrace, costs $10,000 a year and mainly caters to a wealthy male clientele
Merivale told Nine newspapers it took the allegations extremely seriously but had no record of them.
James Henderson, who was a bartender at Ivy and another Merivale company Bar Totti’s, but resigned from the group in August. said what happened in the venues was ‘disgusting’.
‘They use women as objects,’ he said.
Mr Henderson, 21, claimed the venues were ‘grooming’ female staff and customers for VIP entertainment.
An unnamed host told Nine newspapers it was not unusual to enter a room and see a senior staff member having sex with three girls on a couch or in a shower.
They claimed staff would sometimes position themselves to protect vulnerable young girls who were often scouted from other Ivy venues below.
Mr Henderson also alleged the company failed to keep him safe when he was attacked at work by a guest.
Ivy staff claimed the internal WhatsApp chat group had a code phrase ‘blue lights’ to warn of police
Staff said Level 6 was alerted whenever police were heading there
He also said a senior staff member offered him cocaine and that he had witnessed another openly use narcotics at Merivale’s Slip Inn bar without fear of repercussion.
If staff alerted police to any wrongdoings at Merivale properties they would be terminated, he claimed.
Another senior staff member said there were ‘blue lights’ and ‘code blue’ warnings sent out over an internal WhatsApp chat or over a radio to alert Level 6 staff that police were about to visit ‘so that whatever was going on … they could hide it’.
The company said alerting staff to police was ‘standard industry practice’.
Mr Henderson produced an email where he detailed complaints of two sexual assaults to management.
Merivale rejected the claims made by Henderson, describing him as being ‘well known to the human resources department’.
They said staff undertook extensive and rigorous training that encouraged incidents to be reported to management and the police.
Former employee James Henderson said he emailed Merivale management to complain of a lack of action over serious incidents
Staff also alleged that there were large CCTV blind spots in the club where people could have sex or take drugs openly
In its statement to Nine, Merivale said it has appointed leading human rights and discrimination lawyer Kate Eastman, SC to lead an investigation into allegations of misconduct at the company.
‘If any of these allegations are even remotely true, we sincerely regret any distress caused,’ Merivale said.
However, company rejected claims it had fostered a culture that exploited women and put its staff in danger.
‘In all hospitality businesses, including Merivale’s, incidents occur involving both patrons and staff. There is no denying this,’ a spokesperson said.
‘However, Merivale handles complaints that are made about such incidents in accordance with its policies and procedures as well as its legal obligations.’
Level 6 is part of the Ivy-branded venues owned by hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes as part of the giant Merivale group
SafeWork NSW is also investigating Merivale after the ABC published claims in September that it condoned drug use at its venues, failed to adequately respond to allegations of sexual assault and screened uncensored CCTV footage of people having sex at an awards night.
Merivale said it had no record of the incidents and that it was lawful for the company to capture CCTV footage.
Swillhouse, another major owner of Sydney hospitality venues, is also under investigation by SafeWork NSW after allegations were made of sexual assault, harassment and open drug use at its venues.
The company’s chief executive Anton Forte stepped aside on Friday.
Merivale has been contacted for comment.
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