|
Country
club lets women into lounge Attorney demands an apology from city
May 20,
2005
By Jo Appleton Senior Staff Writer
RANCHO
SANTA FE — Women are now allowed in a lounge at the Fairbanks Ranch
Country Club that was once designated for only men, but the attorney for
a woman with a discrimination suit against the club said he’s seen no
information to indicate that being true.
During
the May 3 city council meeting, the club’s attorney, John Shiner, said
that the policy had been changed to allow both male and female members
into the lounge in question, but added that doing so was not an
admission of discrimination on the club’s part.
"Because
of the club’s longstanding and positive relationship with the city, the
club is welcoming any members and their guests into the facilities in
question," Shiner said. "I must indicate again that there has been no
discrimination."
Shiner
later asked the city to apologize to the club and its members, who "were
demonized" by the city during its April 19 council meeting when the city
found the club in default of its lease with them.
A sign
reading "The Lounge" has now replaced the previous "Men’s Locker Room,"
and a letter stating that the lounge is open to all members was mailed
out to country club members, Shiner said. He said that the director of
the city’s real estate assets department, Will Griffith, inspected the
country club after the proposed changes and was "completely satisfied."
As of
press time, Griffith was not available for comment.
Dan
Lawton, the attorney for Maureen Pechacek-Howe, who filed a
discrimination lawsuit against the club last year after being refused
service in the men’s lounge, said he has not witnessed the changes first
hand, and that he and his client have not been invited onto the premises
to see them. Pechacek-Howe’s membership was terminated in December.
"There’s
no information that they’re letting any women in there," said Lawton.
"The
action, not the words, is what’s important. Their words up to now have
not amounted to much in terms of credibility. They said they don’t
discriminate, and they do discriminate. They said this is a locker room,
and it’s not a locker room," Lawton said. "When you look at all those
statements you start to question the veracity," he added. "We’re
skeptical of what they say."
Pechacek-Howe’s
case will be heard before an arbitrator. A conference call is scheduled
for May 20 between the two attorneys and the arbitrator, who is expected
to set a date for the arbitration at that time, Lawton said.
Contact
Senior Staff Writer Jo Appleton via e-mail at jappleton@coastnewsgroup.com.
Copyright © Coast News Group, PO Box 232550, Encinitas, CA 92023-2550
Back to In
The News
|
