It’s hard to imagine downtown Athens without the local businesses that make it unique. Would it even be the same city without the eccentric restaurants, historic music venues, or a nightlife scene that’s almost synonymous with the University of Georgia?
COVID-19 has threatened to make that a reality, bringing closures and restrictions in its wake, taking late night last calls and subsequent trips to The Grill with it.
Over the last two years, the more than 100 businesses between Broad Street and Prince Avenue have either adapted to these changes or been forced to close their doors. The downtown landscape is undeniably different, but intact.
Unfortunately, some of the businesses that managed to weather a worldwide pandemic are now caught up in internal issues, including allegations of misconduct against their owners and managers.
West Clayton Street in Downtown Athens, Georgia on October 11, 2021.
Last year, Jon McRae, the owner of Sister Louisa’s Church bar, was accused of “profiteering off queer and marginalized people and using his position of power to manipulate young women,” according to Flagpole Magazine.
These allegations came from “an unknown many people affected by Jon McRae’s sexual predation,” according to one former patron.
They were echoed by Thomas Fletcher and Megan Sparks, two former longtime Church employees, in a statement they co-wrote. “We have also seen how Jon uses his position as a bar owner to prey upon women, especially the young women who enter into his space. The thought that Church is expanding, giving him more reign makes us sick,” the Instagram post reads.
The aforementioned expansion is a result of Caledonia Lounge and Atomic Vintage, the two businesses next door to Church, closing permanently after a months-long pandemic hiatus.
“This is a huge loss for our community for a multitude of reasons. Caledonia and Atomic made up a large part of the Athens landscape that felt safe and provided so much to so many,” Fletcher and Sparks offered in their statement.
The Kourtesans, an Athens drag group, ended their professional relationship with Church in October 2020 following the influx of accusations.
“We cannot accept that the people coming to our shows could face any sort of danger. Our shows are a safe space and are for all to enjoy,” they explained in an Instagram post. “It is so unfortunate that money and power are being placed over community.”
Further up West Clayton Street, the Last Resort Grill has been in operation since 1966. The southwestern-inspired restaurant quickly adapted to COVID-19 restrictions by converting their patio to an outdoor dining area, but is also dealing with internal issues of their own.
Former manager Stanley Walker has been accused of “wage theft, sexual harassment, discrimination, and [creating a] hostile work environment,” according to a statement made by Keela Singleton, a former employee among seven others currently suing the restaurant.
“Their defense in sexual harassment remained the same: it didn’t happen, if it did happen, we wanted it or were asking for it, and if we didn’t want it then we should’ve expected the possibility of it happening at our job,” explained Singleton as legal proceedings have grown increasingly complicated in recent months.
Allegations like this are severe in any community, but are even more serious in a college town.
According to the Rape, Incest & Abuse National Network, college-age adults are at a higher risk for sexual violence. Additionally, sexual assault is more prevalent at college than other crimes, and less than a third of college-age victims actually report it.
With this in mind, it's worth asking if these issues are isolated incidents, or a sign of history repeating itself.
In February 2020, David Ippisch, the former owner of Hedges on Broad and 100 proof bars, was indicted on charges of rape and kidnapping and granted $50,000 cash bail with conditions the following June, according to The Red & Black.
Despite the actions of these specific employers, our small businesses as a whole are nevertheless integral to our local identity and commerce.
Small businesses employ 64.7% of the Athens workforce, according to the Small Business Administration.
“They are far and away the backbone of the community,” explained David Bradley, the president and CEO of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. “We have over 800 members of the Chamber, and somewhere between 88% and 90% employ under 10 people.”
Bradley has observed that allegations of misconduct “have an immediate impact on not only that business… but the entirety of the experience of the community.” Allegations are “a heavy bump in the road that some can handle and some cannot,” he explained.
And maybe some shouldn't. Athens is undeniably already in a season of change, and it may be in the entire community’s best interest to embrace it.