Angry parents are calling for the closure of a South Lyon teen dance club after the owners held a bikini contest in which girls as young as 16 could compete for $500 in prizes.
But police said no laws were broken at Primal the Club when owners held the contest March 28. An ad on its Facebook page shows bikini-clad girls posing with their backsides to the camera.
Only a handful of girls competed, city officials say, and the club's owner scrapped plans for future contests.
"People are angry and they want it out of the community," said South Lyon resident Abe Ayoub, whose 14-year-old daughter isn't allowed to go to the club.
One of Primal's owners, Jeff LaFave, said the bikini contests were supposed to be a throwback to the 1980s and spring break fun.
"Apparently, there's been some backlash," LaFave said. "It's seems the community is a little more conservative."
When the club opened Jan. 30, some parents thought it would give teenagers someplace to go. Now, some of those parents say the club is a place where teens from 14 to 19 pretend to be adults by downing energy drinks and nonalcoholic Jell-O shots while partying until 1 a.m.
The 9,070-square-foot club on Pontiac Trail is open Friday and Saturday nights and can draw hundreds on weekends.
"It's a training ground for kids as to what the bar scene is like," said Mayor John Doyle. He said the contest "crossed the line."
Rhonda Smith, 50, of South Lyon said her 16-year-old daughter went to Primal a few times and enjoyed herself, but the girl said she didn't like the age discrepancy and she saw some patrons who appeared to have been drinking.
"I won't let her go back because of what I've heard," Smith said.
Lt. Steve Sharpe of the South Lyon Police Department said the club cannot be closed because of the contest.
There have been a few arrests at Primal. One was for underage drinking and another occurred when an intoxicated 21-year-old man tried to enter, Sharpe said.
There are other teen clubs in the metro area. One of them, Club Inferno in Walled Lake, has been open for more than 10 years and has been a nuisance, Police Chief Brent Liddy said, although there have been no complaints recently.
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But police said no laws were broken at Primal the Club when owners held the contest March 28. An ad on its Facebook page shows bikini-clad girls posing with their backsides to the camera.
Only a handful of girls competed, city officials say, and the club's owner scrapped plans for future contests.
"People are angry and they want it out of the community," said South Lyon resident Abe Ayoub, whose 14-year-old daughter isn't allowed to go to the club.
One of Primal's owners, Jeff LaFave, said the bikini contests were supposed to be a throwback to the 1980s and spring break fun.
"Apparently, there's been some backlash," LaFave said. "It's seems the community is a little more conservative."
When the club opened Jan. 30, some parents thought it would give teenagers someplace to go. Now, some of those parents say the club is a place where teens from 14 to 19 pretend to be adults by downing energy drinks and nonalcoholic Jell-O shots while partying until 1 a.m.
The 9,070-square-foot club on Pontiac Trail is open Friday and Saturday nights and can draw hundreds on weekends.
"It's a training ground for kids as to what the bar scene is like," said Mayor John Doyle. He said the contest "crossed the line."
Rhonda Smith, 50, of South Lyon said her 16-year-old daughter went to Primal a few times and enjoyed herself, but the girl said she didn't like the age discrepancy and she saw some patrons who appeared to have been drinking.
"I won't let her go back because of what I've heard," Smith said.
Lt. Steve Sharpe of the South Lyon Police Department said the club cannot be closed because of the contest.
There have been a few arrests at Primal. One was for underage drinking and another occurred when an intoxicated 21-year-old man tried to enter, Sharpe said.
There are other teen clubs in the metro area. One of them, Club Inferno in Walled Lake, has been open for more than 10 years and has been a nuisance, Police Chief Brent Liddy said, although there have been no complaints recently.
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