An infamous sex club in Brooklyn known as the ‘SoHo House of sex’ has been accused of fostering rape culture for years in its members-only community.
Members of Hacienda, a community run by married polyamorous couple Andrew and Beth Sparksfire, have accused the club of sexual and physical assault, according to a new New York Times investigation.
The establishment, which costs $130 a year to join and hosts a plethora of raunchy orgies and sex parties, operates out of a brownstone building in Bushwick.
Jennifer Fisher, a former member who lived in one of the townhouses, claimed that she was raped by a guest at a sex party in 2012. At the time, she feared that reporting it would mean that she was going against the ‘kinky’ community that she enjoyed.
Fisher told NYT: ‘How do you call the police to report something that happened at a sex party? They’d come and say, “OK, which deviant do I arrest first?”.’
Ten members claimed that they were also physically or sexually abused at Hacienda and raised concerns about its ‘consent’ policies.
Hacienda have vehemently denied the allegations presented by the newspaper.
Members of Hacienda, a sex community ran by married polyamorous couple, Andrew and Beth Sparksfire (pictured), have accused the club of sexual and physical assault
The founders and Co-Founder Kenneth Play acknowledged each person’s case but insisted that the club has laid out strict rules about consent to their members. (Pictured: One of the sex club’s Bushwick, Brooklyn town houses)
A promotional image of a rope bondage class run by Hacienda
Two other women said that they were slammed against walls by partygoers, while three others said that they reported intimidating behavior by other sex party guests.
The people that were accused faced little to no repercussions for their actions, the victims said.
One specific Hacienda resident was accused of violently beating four people during sex and removing condoms without consent, also known as stealthing.
His behavior was then addressed at a meeting with a Hacidena organizer, who decided not to take action against him, but instead denounced the women in an email to the Sparksfire’s.
‘All it takes is for one motivated individual at one of these “symposiums” to seek council of an attorney and sue us. They are discussing issues of nonconsent and risky behavior,’ the email said, according to the NYT.
The accused then went on to live in one of the New York brownstones, where another resident, Kristin Stadelmann-Ferreira, accused him of raping her in a room at another townhome on Troutman Street.
Stadelmann-Ferreira said that the man forced her to have sex with her while she wore a tampon and was known for his vigorous spanking.
She said that she was romantically involved with him, and that when she reported the incident to higher-ups, she wasn’t acknowledged.
Stadelmann-Ferreira has schizophrenia and proceeded to have a breakdown after the incident with the man. She ran naked in the street around the townhouse and was hospitalized for it.
In a statement, the sex club’s leaders said that she never came forward with those accusations and that they were there for her after she suffered a mental breakdown shortly after.
It wasn’t until 2015 that the man was removed from the club, after another woman accused him of rape.
The Co-Founder, Kenneth Play, who was previously named ‘the world’s greatest sex hacker’ by GQ Magazine, was also accused of sexual misconduct over the years at Hacienda.
In response to the accusations, Play and the Sparkfires denied any wrongdoing.
‘We vehemently deny any notion of Hacienda as an organization that harbors or protects individuals who do not practice consent or violate fellow members in any way,’ they said.
The club makes members sit through a consent orientation and has ‘guardians’ who stand by to make sure rules are followed (stock image)
The Co-Founder, Kenneth Play (pictured) who was previously named ‘the world’s greatest sex hacker’ by GQ Magazine, was accused of sexual misconduct over the years at Hacienda
Play, who has openly spoken about the importance on consent, was also accused of violating the consent of an intoxicated woman.
In response to the claim, Hacienda leadership said that her allegations were ‘unfounded and untrue,’ but Play has since been barred from at least three other sex parties in the Big Apple, according to The New York Times.
‘I stand wholeheartedly with victims of assault and never want to discredit a woman’s experience or stifle her voice,’ Play said in response to the woman’s accusation.
‘I take solace in knowing that the facts and truth are on my side,’ he added.
The co-founders acknowledged each person’s case but insisted that the club has laid out strict rules about consent to their members.
‘Our organization is centered around the importance of enthusiastic and continuous consent, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any violations of these standards,’ they said in a statement to The New York Times.
In response to the allegations, Hacienda told DailyMail.com: ‘While regrettable instances do happen in the sex-positive community, we have very specific rules and procedures put in place to keep safety at the forefront.’
‘Incidents, while rare, are taken seriously and handled promptly. Anyone quick to judge an entire population of consenting adults’ choices must remember that free expression, within proper boundaries, should be a right afforded to us all.’
On Hacienda’s website, there is a ‘consent’ page that details its rules and standards for its members to help create a ‘sex positive environment.’
‘It is your responsibility to practice consent – to ask before touching someone, to pay attention to their body language, to check-in,’ the website said.
‘It is also your responsibility to decide whether or not to give permission to someone when they ask you to do something.’
The club also makes members sit through a consent orientation and has ‘guardians’ who stand by to make sure rules are followed.
There are instructions on the club’s website for how to properly make a report on a consent violation.
The guidelines suggest that the victim makes their report within a week of the incident before they and the other parties give their accounts to the ‘Hacienda Consent team.’
Once that is done, the team goes on to investigate the allegations and decides the next steps, which could result in a verbal warning, a temporary or permanent ban.
Dischord chats, Google docs and Facebook pages reviewed by The New York Times, revealed that partygoers share names of alleged ‘consent violators’, with the idea of protecting each other.
Members said that in response to these incidents, leadership brought in a lawyer, who was also a Hacienda member, that offered meditation services in return.
Membership rates run at $130 a year and new members have to either apply with another interested person, or have reference from a current member, the site detailed. (stock image)
Previous and current members have thought of the club differently and labeled it as a safe space, but also acknowledged their reluctance to speak negatively of the club in fear of hurting their enjoyed lifestyles.
Effy Blue, a former member said that ‘these spaces are the opposite of black and white.’
‘You need the social awareness of a brain surgeon to leave the space unscathed and never hurt someone and never be hurt,’ Blue added.
Even after the events she endured while under the clubs care, Stadelmann-Ferreira also praised Hacienda.
‘We are trailblazers. But it is important that we point out where leadership has gone wrong in the past. They can learn from our mistakes,’ she said.
Unlike other popular sex clubs in New York City, Hacienda has elevated its experience and tried to become the ‘SoHo House of Sex’ that is solely exclusive.
It first emerged years ago during a sex party at Andrew’s Brooklyn townhouse. He was previously a security analyst from England.
According to his website, Play has gone on to sell $697 in online courses about improving sexual techniques and has appeared in more than 100 news articles.
Since then, Andrew turned the party into a full on career and business venture with three Hacienda locations in Bushwick townhomes, along with a New Orleans villa.
According to the website, most of the properties, owned by Andrew, are capable of housing more than two dozen members.
Membership rates run at $130 a year and new members have to either apply with another interested person, or have reference from a current member, the site detailed.
Hacienda also rents out their townhomes for others to host parties, and at least one of the Brooklyn homes has a basement known as a ‘sex dungeon.’
The club also hosts their own workshops like ‘Daddy Dom Daycare’, black light parties, and a ‘Mid Week Scandal’ which invites singles and couples for a night to ‘hang & bang.’
‘Our goal is to create an environment where people can learn, gather and responsibly enjoy and explore their sexuality,’ the club’s founders said.