Swim club ordered to pay 50G penalty

Back in June, a Montgomery County swim club refunded $1,950 to 56 African-American and Hispanic campers over what it claimed were concerns of overcrowding. It turned out to be a costly decision.

In a decision announced last night, the state Human Relations Commission found probable cause for race discrimination against the Valley Club, in Huntingdon Valley, because of its dealings with the Creative Steps Summer Camp, which the 56 youngsters attended.

Lawyers for a mother and her four children who were among the campers said last night that the state commission also ordered the club to pay a $50,000 civil penalty.

In the 33-page decision, the commission said that one of the women's sons had been turned away by the club because he is black.

The camper's mother, whose name is being withheld to protect her son's identity, said she wanted to send a clear message.

"I hope that people who are racist know now that this won't be allowed," she said when reached last night. "You can't do this to kids."

Brian Mildenberg, who handled the case pro bono, said he expected a similar ruling for his client's three other children.

A flurry of media attention and civil demonstrations followed news accounts last summer of the swim club's treatment of campers from the Creative Steps Summer Camp in the Northeast.

On June 29, the campers, 46 of whom are black and 10 Hispanic, arrived at the club on Tomlinson Road for their first swim of the season.

Almost immediately, campers reported that they heard white members make disparaging racial remarks about them.

"What are all these black kids doing here?" asked one of the members, who was identified in the affidavit as Michelle Flynn, a teacher at Laura H. Carnell Elementary School on Devereaux Avenue in Philadelphia.

A camper had also identified Flynn as one of his teachers during the school year and told a camp counselor.

Valley Club president John Duesler was notified and told a Creative Steps counselor that he'd take care of it.

Later, according to the affidavit, several white members spoke in favor of keeping Creative Steps' temporary membership.

But others, including Flynn, complained that they weren't given prior notice about the campers' arrival and that their presence posed a risk.

" . . . [S]ince I personally know some of these kids because I teach at their school and I have seen first hand what at least one of these children is capable of I don't feel comfortable with my children even going to the bathroom during this time," she wrote in an e-mail to Duesler the same day.

Efforts to reach Flynn last night were unsuccessful.

The next day, despite numerous phone calls and more debate at Valley Club, its members would not budge, according to the affidavit.

The agreement was rescinded, and the camp was refunded its fees.

Duesler had told a Fox 29 reporter that the club had "underestimated the impact" the campers would have on the club and that they had "fundamentally changed the atmosphere."

Valley Club lawyer Joe Tucker said Tuesday night that the decision "has nothing to do with the actual facts" and would be appealed. "The die was cast by the media firestorm. They had no choice but to reach the decision they did.

But the mother in the case says that her kids have been scarred by what happened.

"One of my sons wanted to stay longer in the bathtub to lighten his skin," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.