Ground Zero Biloxi faces lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, retaliation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- EEOC filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by Ground Zero Biloxi co-owner.
- The assistant manager was allegedly fired after reporting misconduct to upper management.
- EEOC seeks damages, policy changes, and prevention of future workplace retaliation.
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission has filed a lawsuit against Ground Zero Biloxi Inc., claiming a co-owner of the popular blues club sexually harassed an employee, then fired her when she complained.
The EEOC filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court. While the EEOC gives employees the right to sue if they investigate and find such claims have merit, the agency more rarely takes up a worker’s case and files its own lawsuit.
The lawsuit details claims of sexual harassment by co-owner Jeff Young from fall 2022 to September 2023 against an assistant manager, Lindsey Muller.
“The EEOC charged that one of the blues club’s co-owners subjected the assistant manager to a campaign of sexual harassment that included repeated unwanted sexual comments and multiple acts of forced sexual touching,” a news release from the EEOC says. “The agency alleges that the assistant manager repeatedly complained about the co-owner’s harassment to no avail.”
Lawsuit details sexual harassment claims
Muller started working at Ground Zero shortly ahead of its opening February 2022 in downtown Biloxi. Actor Morgan Freeman founded the original Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, which has a licensing agreement with the Biloxi club.
Jeff Young co-owns the Biloxi club with brother Lee Young. By August 2022 in Biloxi, Muller was promoted to an assistant manager’s position at the Biloxi club, the EEOC’s lawsuit says.
The lawsuit details Muller’s harassment claims, saying Jeff Young initially attempted to kiss her. She turned her head and told him to stop. Around the summer of 2023, her rubbed her legs below the knees. He also told her, “My sexy redhead can shake it for me.”
Also that summer, Young walked up behind Muller, placed his hands on her breasts and rubbed them down the sides of her body, the lawsuit says.
Muller “froze,” the lawsuit says. The general manager, who is not named, saw the behavior and asked Muller what she wanted to do about it. She wasn’t sure, she said, because she thought reporting sexual harassment could cost her the job.
She told the general manager about another incident, but again said she didn’t want to report the conduct for fear of losing her job. Again, the lawsuit says, the club took no action.
Retaliation reported, lawsuit says
Muller finally reported Young’s conduct to Ground Zero’s chief financial officer Aug. 4, 2023 and, at the club’s request, submitted written reports that same day and on Aug. 18. The lawsuit says that Jeff Young flipped Muller the bird when they encountered one another on Sept. 17, 2023, and that she was fired five days later.
The agency is asking that a judge order Ground Zero Biloxi to stop its owners and employees from sexually discriminating or sexually harassing employees, and from retaliating against employees who report sexual harassment. The agency also wants the judge to order that Ground Zero initiate policies to “eradicate” the effects of unlawful employment practices and provide equal opportunities to employees, regardless of sex.
The EEOC is also seeking back pay, plus interest, for Muller, plus unspecified damages for any other financial losses she may have suffered. Punitive damages, to be determined at trial, should also be awarded to compensate Muller for “malicious and reckless conduct,” the lawsuit says.
Ground Zero has not yet been served with the lawsuit or had time to file a response. The lawsuit represents only one side of the case.
The Sun Herald will update this story with more details and any response from blues club management.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 5:55 PM.
