Class Action Claims Morgan Run Club & Resort Discriminates Against Female Members

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A female member of Morgan Run Club & Resort in San Diego, California has filed a proposed class action claiming the private tennis club’s owner, ClubCorp, discriminates against women.

According to the 15-page case, ClubCorp, who owns private country clubs throughout the U.S., has violated California law by treating male members more favorably than female members when providing services and upholding its policies. As the case tells it, ClubCorp has allowed male members to “constantly” harass, intimidate and verbally abuse women at the club, and has retaliated against female members when they issue complaints.

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The plaintiff claims she filed a formal complaint with ClubCorp after a male member and agent of the club sent her abusive and harassing text messages. After a grievance hearing, the club made the “intentionally biased decision” to terminate the plaintiff’s membership and overlook its bylaws by refusing to take any adverse action against the male member, the lawsuit relays.

Additionally, the complaint asserts that male club members were offered greater privileges during men’s night tennis events, such as an extended happy hour, a 50-percent discount on freshly cooked food, seating at the restaurant, a free drink, a “wide selection” of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages by the glass or by the bottle, staffing until the end of the event and the option to reserve neighboring courts.

The case contends that at women’s night tennis events, the happy hour would end early, the restaurant would not be open, and the women were not provided a free drink, discounts, restaurant seating or beverages by the glass. Instead, the suit alleges, female club members were only given pre-packaged food and had to eat “on the cold, hard asphalt tennis court.” Moreover, the club provided staffing for women’s night events only until the tennis house was closed at 5:30 pm, the case says, and players were scattered across courts that were not adjoining or close to one another.

Despite its “first-come, first-served” policy for reserving tennis courts, ClubCorp, the case argues, would not allow female members to participate if more male members had reserved spots, even if the women had signed up first.

Per the complaint, ClubCorp has on several occasions dismissed or sent women home “under false pretexts” during mixed double events. In addition, the suit alleges that ClubCorp refused to offer evening tennis clinics to female members even though it offers the same service to male members.

“Plaintiff and others similarly situated have suffered from unlawful discrimination, emotional distress, humiliation, shame, and embarrassment and have been deprived from enjoying the services due to the Defendants’ discriminatory and unlawful business practices,” the filing argues.

The lawsuit looks to represent all female members of the private clubs owned and operated by ClubCorp USA and ClubCorp Golf of California.

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