Las Vegas LGBTQ+ Landmark Piranha Nightclub Sues Meta Over Instagram Ban and “Human Trafficking” Accusation
LAS VEGAS — Africa Sanchez Law has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Nite Owl LLC, the owner and operator of Piranha Nightclub, the landmark Las Vegas LGBTQ+ venue, against Meta Platforms, Inc. in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, after Instagram deactivated the club’s account over an alleged violation of the platform’s rule against content that “facilitates or coordinates” human trafficking. The complaint alleges the accusation is false and that the club was cut off from its audience without meaningful explanation or any real process to answer the charge, and that to this day, Meta has not even identified the allegedly offending post.
For more than 20 years, Piranha has operated as one of the most celebrated nightlife destinations in Las Vegas and the anchor of the Fruit Loop, the district the Nevada Legislature recognized in 2025 as a culturally and historically significant LGBTQ+ landmark. According to the complaint, the club’s Instagram account (@piranhavegas) was its most effective marketing tool when Meta deactivated it in March of this year. The complaint alleges that the club made exhaustive efforts through Meta’s own appeal and support channels to understand or contest the ban, and that the ban has cost the club lost revenue, lost business opportunities, and lost goodwill.
The complaint brings seven claims, led by a Nevada civil rights claim: state law guarantees everyone the full and equal enjoyment of places of public accommodation, without discrimination based on sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity, and the lawsuit argues that under Nevada law (NRS 651.070), an online business like Instagram is exactly such a place. The complaint also alleges that Meta broke its own agreements with the club, engaged in deceptive trade practices, interfered with the club’s customer relationships, and was negligent in issuing a ban it has never explained.
The lawsuit places the ban in a widely reported national pattern. The watchdog group Repro Uncensored documented more than 100 suspensions of queer and creative Instagram accounts in a single month this spring, many run by LGBTQ+ organizations, artists, and cultural spaces, and LGBTQ+ nightlife venues abroad have publicly reported repeated removals. Just last month, a Durham, North Carolina drag performer and the queer nightclub Club ERA sued Meta after their accounts were disabled; within weeks, following negotiations, the accounts were restored, according to public reports. The complaint alleges that, whatever its intent, Meta’s enforcement has repeatedly and wrongly branded queer-friendly businesses with one of the most serious accusations that can be made.
“I’ve spent my career defending journalists and newsrooms from powerful institutions. Now one of the most powerful companies on earth has branded a twenty-year Las Vegas institution with one of the ugliest accusations there is, and given it no meaningful way to answer,” said David E. Chavez, the Africa Sanchez Law attorney leading the case. “Platforms like Instagram have become the front door to every small business in America. When that door gets slammed shut on a false accusation, the courts are how you open it back up.”
“Piranha has been a home for this community for more than twenty years. When an institution like that can be erased overnight, everyone who depends on these platforms should pay attention,” said Africa A. Sanchez, founder of Africa Sanchez Law.
The lawsuit asks the court to order Meta to restore the club’s Instagram account and seeks damages and attorneys’ fees. The case, Nite Owl LLC v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. A-26-952992-C, was filed on August 4, 2026, and is pending in Department 5 of the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada.
The case is among the first matters of Africa Sanchez Law’s newly launched litigation and First Amendment practice, announced last week with Chavez’s arrival from one of the nation’s largest law firms. His record includes securing reversals and extraordinary writ relief from the Supreme Court of Nevada and blocking subpoenas directed at journalists, newspapers, and television stations.
Interview availability: David E. Chavez is available for interviews in English and Spanish. A copy of the filed complaint, attorney headshot, and additional case background are available from the media contact below.
The lawsuit’s claims are allegations, and Meta has not yet responded in court.
About Africa Sanchez Law Founded in 2014 by attorney Africa A. Sanchez, who was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2000, Africa Sanchez Law (the Law Office of Africa A. Sanchez, Esq.) is a bilingual Las Vegas law firm with established practices in immigration, family law, and charter school representation, and services in civil and business litigation, appeals, and First Amendment matters. The firm serves clients in English and Spanish and is committed to accessible, community-centered representation. Learn more at africasanchezlaw.com or call (702) 744-8081.
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