Valley Swim Club Penalized for Racism Complaint in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, September 23. LAST summer, word filtered out from Philadelphia that the Valley Swim Club allegedly discriminated against the Creative Steps day care center, a group comprised mostly of minorities.

Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) "issued a finding of probable cause…that racism was involved," when Valley refunded Creative Steps' money and asked them to leave, according to a CNN report.

Also according to the article, "the commission ordered monetary damages for humiliation and embarrassment and a civil penalty of not more than $50,000."

After a paid-for visit by Creative Steps on June 29, members of the Valley Swim Club began complaining to the board of directors. Shortly thereafter, the club canceled the contract with Creative Steps and refunded the $1,950 payment for use of the facilities.

Valley's legal representative Joe Tucker blames a potential media backlash for the decision.

"I believe the people at the PHRC are very good people, but they were put in a tough position," Tucker told CNN. "If the PHRC would have decided against the children or in favor of the club, they would have been painted with the same unfair and untrue racist brush that the Valley Swim Club was painted with."

Full text of CNN article.

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