Fired SC police chief claims he was ordered to ‘target’ strip club. Town… | Latest Lifestyle News
An Atlantic Beach strip club has filed another lawsuit against the town over a new ordinance it says infringes on their rights to free expression.
This time, dancers and the town’s former police chief, Carlos Castillo, are weighing in.
Castillo joined in the litigation, claiming he was wrongfully terminated by the town for refusing to fabricate evidence, as directed by Town Manager Adrian Jones, that adverse secondary effects in the town were linked to Thee Dollhouse. He claims that he was directed to target the business for enforcement without probable cause.
Messages to Jones and Castillo requesting comment went unanswered.
The town released a statement saying that it has not yet been formally served with the new lawsuit, but that the first lawsuit filed by the club in September was moved to federal court, after which Thee Dollhouse chose to dismiss it.
“The Town looks forward to responding to the allegations from each of the plaintiffs in this second lawsuit in a court of law, which is the proper forum,” the statement reads.
Thee Dollhouse, operated by Crazy Horse, Inc., filed an initial lawsuit against the town in early September regarding a new ordinance regulating inappropriately-oriented businesses in the municipality. The club claimed the new rules would “destroy” it, and also that it had paid the town more than $2 million over the past 10 years in exorbitant licensing fees to stay operational.
The town passed its inappropriately-oriented businesses ordinance in September that introduced new limitations on businesses such as Thee Dollhouse, including limitations on hours of operations and customer interactions. For example, semi-nude performers must now remain at least 6 feet from customers.
Atlantic Beach’s 23-page ordinance also allows the town manager and his or her agents to inspect the business on an occasional basis to ensure it is following the ordinance’s regulations, The Sun News previously reported. Violations of the ordinance could result in fines or the suspension or revocation of licensing.
Thee Dollhouse claims that the recently adopted regulations violate freedom of speech rights for its performers under the state’s Constitution. Two of the club’s performers, Samantha Christian and Melissa Ferguson, filed the lawsuit, along with Crazy Horse Inc., claiming that the ordinance was adopted without proper prior notice, and that its intention is to force the club to close.
Additionally, they claim that the larger goal in forcing the club into closure is to benefit local development interests.
Thee Dollhouse, an adult entertainment venue in Atlantic Beach, S.C. Oct.28, 2025.
The strip club is located at 3001 Highway 17 S., which is along the main highway between the town and North Myrtle Beach.
In the club’s previous lawsuit, it claims that the town exercises police intimidation on the business by parking police vehicles nearby, discouraging customers from entering, conducting searches on vehicles and running staff vehicle license plates without probable cause, The Sun News previously reported.
The suit seeks to overturn the ordinance, and was filed Monday in Horry County.
Other municipalities in the area have adopted similar regulations, most of which come from the county level. In Horry County, regulations prevent inappropriate businesses from being opened near other structures like churches and schools, limit when they can be open, and determine where and how semi-nude performers can interact with patrons.
The Horry County code of ordinances states that these regulations are intended to prevent harmful secondary effects from such businesses, which could include crime or harms to the community.
In the town’s statement, Atlantic Beach noted that its new ordinance is modeled after those adopted by Horry County, Columbia and Greenville County, which have all been upheld as constitutional.
The statement said that the town and Town Manager will have no further comment on the pending litigation.
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