A former dancer at Brookhaven's Pink Pony club is suing the business in federal court over nightly fees that allegedly consumed her entire tip income.

Heather West filed the collective-action lawsuit July 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. A collective action allows other workers in similar situations to join the case. The complaint names Trop Inc., the company that operates Pink Pony at 1837 Corporate Blvd. NE, along with executives Dennis Williams, Michael A. Kap and Eddie Stone as defendants, Black Enterprise reported.

The July filing gained wider attention after WSB-TV reported on the case Sept. 14.

According to the complaint, dancers were required to pay nightly "house fees" ranging from $60 to $532 per shift, depending on how much they earned. Those fees allegedly came entirely from tip income. Under that structure, a dancer who earned $60 in tips could be required to turn over the entire amount to the club.

The complaint also alleges workers "were not paid wages for any work time on the premises."

West's lawsuit accuses the defendants of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal law governing minimum wage and overtime pay. The case seeks to represent current and former Pink Pony dancers who worked at the club during the previous three years.

Jonah Flynn, an attorney representing West, told WSB-TV the practice is "It's just fundamentally unfair and a violation of the law."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Flynn said. "Not every nightclub, not every exotic dance club does this."

The dancer's case is not the only legal challenge facing the Brookhaven venue. A bartender and a "house mom" have filed separate lawsuits accusing the business of improperly taking portions of their tips, according to Black Enterprise.

The club denies the allegations.

An attorney representing Pink Pony declined to comment further, citing the pending federal litigation. No hearing date or next court milestone has been announced in the case.