St. Louis- For the second time in a month a female bartender at E ‘n’ J’s Grill and Pub in O’Fallon was arrested for exposing her breasts while on the job.
Mayor Donna Morrow said Monday that according to police the employee who was arrested on Friday was encouraged to expose her breasts by Erica Faulkner, co-owner of the restaurant.
Morrow said she feared that E ‘n’ J’s was becoming what’s known as a “flash bar,” where female employees expose their breasts and G-strings to patrons.
Neither Erica Faulkner nor her husband and co-owner Raymond Faulkner could be reached for comment.
The restaurant, located at 2509 Highway K, was shut down by the city Friday evening for 24 hours, Morrow said.
O’Fallon police arrested Wendy Bebee, 36, of Moscow Mills, at about 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Morrow said that police investigators reported that Bebee exposed her breasts while behind the bar with co-owner Erica Faulkner.
In addition, Morrow said, police reported that both women lifted their skirts to reveal G-strings.
Morrow said that city officials will contact State Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-19th District, to enlist Davis’ help in having the state’s Liquor Control Board revoke the establishment’s liquor license.
E ‘n’ J’s has not applied to renew its liquor license with the city, Morrow said. In O’Fallon, liquor licenses are renewed annually on July 1.
Bebee told police that prior to working at E ‘n’ J’s she worked at a St. Peters “flash bar,” Morrow said.
Bebee was charged with a city violation of sexual misconduct/indecent exposure, which is punishable by up to a $500 fine and 10 days in jail.
An O’Fallon detective and a patrolman went to the bar after police had received an anonymous complaint that an employee was exposing herself, said Maj. Mark Henke.
The two officers observed Bebee expose her breasts several times, Henke said.
Bebee told police that it was her birthday and that she had been drinking on the job, he said.
Police also issued a ticket to Joseph Hopwood, 36, also of Moscow Mills. Hopwood planned to drive Bebee home, but police noticed that he entered his vehicle with an open container of alcohol, Henke said. Hopwood had been in the restaurant earlier.
A month ago, E ‘n’ J’s had its live-entertainment license suspended by the city for 90 days after a different employee, 25-year-old bartender Angela Patredis, lifted her shirt to expose her breasts on May 23.
The Faulkners had had their live-entertainment license for only 13 days.
Patredis told police at the time that she had been discussing breast augmentation surgery with customers and had lifted her shirt to display the work done on her breasts.
Other male patrons took note and encouraged Patredis to show her breasts again, which she did two more times.
At the time, Raymond Faulkner said that he and his wife did not condone such behavior. He said Patredis had used poor judgment and was demoted from bartender to a server who waits tables.
The couple bought what was once Buster T’s in April of 2004.
Prior to the May 23 incident, a summons was issued Oct. 7 against Erica Faulkner for allegedly harassing an employee, according to police.
The employee claimed that Erica Faulkner had tried to get her to lift her skirt so a patron could take a picture of her buttocks, according to police. Erica Faulkner pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was fined $400, according to court documents.
Raymond Faulkner, when interviewed in May, said the allegation against his wife was false and had been made by a disgruntled former employee who had been fired. He said his wife pleaded guilty because their attorney advised that it was the most expedient way to resolve the matter.