Bikini-clad baristas file suit over bathing suits

A group of baristas filed a lawsuit Monday against the city of Everett, Washington, claiming that two recently passed ordinances are hurting their business model: women who serve cappuccinos and lattes in bikinis, according to the Seattle Times.

The ordinances ban bikinis and bare skin — including bare shoulders, bare midriffs and bare buttocks — on restaurant employees. The women allege this violates their constitutional rights to free expression and the right to privacy, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and claims that the new regulations, which the city council unanimously passed in August, deny bikini-clad employees the ability to communicate and express themselves through their choice of swimwear, infringe on their right to privacy and deny them due process, the newspaper reported.

“This is not about the bikini,” attorney Schuyler Lifschultz told the Seattle Times. “It’s about women’s rights and the U.S. Constitution. The City of Everett violated these women’s rights across the board.”

The suit is asking a judge to remove the ordinance.