Hush, a gay nightclub in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, removed its security team after a video emerged of a client being beaten by the staff.
“We are investigating exactly what took place and the cause of it. It’s obviously not something we would ever expect. We have an independent outside security company that employs the security guards. We have had them removed from our venues until the review is complete,” said Bob Fluet, owner of HUSH.
Four men dressed in black, who had ‘Security’ on the back of their shirts, were beating a victim lying in the middle of 52nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. One had complained that the victim bit off his finger.
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The beating occurred late at night, as police reported being called at 1:15 a.m. last Sunday. The victim had swelling in his right eye and had scrapes to both of his knees.
Both the victim and one of the men committing the assault have been arrested. The victim has been taken in for medical evaluations.
“Initial reports were that this person came to the venue only to confront the security guard and bit him in the face, triggering the event. However, this is not justification for what transpired and we insist that all guards be trained in de-escalation — but that was definitely not shown here,” said Fluet.
“We have multiple venues that operate seven nights a week and do an amazing job in creating safe spaces for our clientele. The security guards must deal with all sorts of issues every night and, for the vast majority of times, do it professionally and without incident.”
New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D) said of the incident, “I’m sickened by the violence in this disturbing video. Although I don’t have the facts of the incident, this video would suggest the private security guards far exceeded their legal authority and should be held accountable for the appropriate civil and criminal penalties under the law.”
“I appreciate the management of Hush taking swift action to address this highly troubling incident.”
Out New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher (D) said, “This type of violence is completely unacceptable and goes against the values of our community. It is vital that incidents like these are taken seriously and addressed swiftly.”
“The venue owner has had a long-standing positive relationship with our community, and I am grateful that they have taken immediate action by suspending those responsible and initiating a thorough review process that must lead to full accountability.”
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