News & Politics - Swim club accused of racial discrimination against kids

**vc318** · 07-09-2009, 04:27 PM

Swim club accused of racial discrimination against kids - CNN.com

Swim club accused of racial discrimination against kids

(CNN) -- A Philadelphia-area day care center said Thursday that members of a private swim club made racist comments about the center's children, and the club then canceled their swimming privileges.

The Creative Steps Day Care children -- ages kindergarten through seventh grade -- went to the Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, on June 29.

The day center's director, Alethea Wright, had contracted to use the club once a week. During their first visit, some children said they heard club members asking why African-American children were there.

One of the boys told the Philadelphia Inquirer that a woman at the club said she feared the children "might do something" to her child.

Days later, the day care center's $1,950 check was returned without explanation, Wright said.

The stepfather of one of the children was filing a complaint against the club with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the panel's chairman, Stephen Glassman, said Thursday.

The commission is investigating the allegations, spokeswoman Shannon Powers said, and will attempt to resolve the conflict out of court.

Sen. Arlen Specter's office said the Pennsylvania Democrat has sent a letter to the Valley Swim Club president asking him to reinstate the contract with Creative Steps, saying, "I think that you would agree that there is no place for racism in America today."

CNN attempted to speak with club President John Duesler on Thursday. He said he had no comment and asked CNN to leave the club property.

But Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations that the children had changed "the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club.

A small group of protesters gathered in front of the club Thursday and said they think Duesler's statements prove that the club's action was racially motivated.

"I was hoping it wouldn't be something that was so blatantly apparent. I was hoping that it was overcrowding," one protester said. "When I read the statement by the club president, it made it blatant."

Jim Flynn, who said he was one of the club members who made a complaint against the children, said it was not racially motivated.

"There were a lot of children in the pool and not enough lifeguards," he said. "As general members, we were not told that they were coming. If we knew, we could decide to not come when the pool was crowded or come anyway. We could have had an option."

He said two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited.

A private Philadelphia boarding school said Thursday that it plans to help the day care center.

"We thought it was appalling what happened," Girard College Admissions Director Tamara Leclair said.

She is meeting with the director of Creative Steps to sign a contract allowing the children to use Girard's facilities this summer, as early as Monday.

"We've had a wonderful response. I even received an e-mail from a woman in Florida telling us we did the right thing. "

Just based on the comment the president said, which I underlined, this guy is purely a racist. Obviously the other guests threatened to leave and he felt it was easier to break the hearts of these poor children. And if there was such a concern about the lack of lifeguards, then the president should've cared about the safety of all his guests and had the entire club shut down. I hope the protesters that have gathered in front of the club is enough to really close the doors on this place.

COOLCAT200 · 07-09-2009, 05:53 PM

This Swim Club is 5 mins from my house. I'm horrified they would do such a awful thing.

Ruby_Slippers · 07-09-2009, 06:44 PM

I heard about that. I can't say that I'm surprised but I hope the swim club is embarassed.

**sunnykerr** · 07-09-2009, 07:49 PM

I think some parents lost a good opportunity to teach their children a valuable lesson with regards to the rainbow that is humanity.

**wanderer78** · 07-10-2009, 10:23 PM

Sad, but unsurprising. The club should be ashamed of themselves.

**vc318** · 07-11-2009, 03:15 AM

Um, last time I checked, isn't it a tad illegal to ban people from a place based on color?

**wanderer78** · 07-11-2009, 11:44 PM

Well, yes it's illegal, but private clubs have been getting away with stuff like this for decades.

**vc318** · 07-12-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderer78 (View Post)

Well, yes it's illegal, but private clubs have been getting away with stuff like this for decades.

Oh I know - making sure they're exclusive to certain areas, the pricing, and so forth. Then they have the nerve to come out and say that their decision wasn't a racist one. Yeah whatever.

**Callace** · 07-12-2009, 01:03 PM

That underlined statement was really blatant. Like he wasnt even ashamed of his racism

**sunnykerr** · 07-21-2009, 05:47 PM

Well, some good news for the kids:

Quote:

Perry Sends Kids To Disney World

Tyler Perry has showed off his generous side - the actor/director is paying for 65 children to go to Walt Disney World following allegations they were refused entry to a swimming club.

Bosses at The Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania insist a group of black and Hispanic kids at Creative Steps Inc. were turned away because of a safety issue as many of the children could not yet swim.

Controversy grew when a club boss told two local television stations the children had changed "the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club, causing protesters to flock to the facility.

In a statement posted on his website, Perry says: "This made me so angry. This is awful, and for anyone that has grown up in the inner-city, you know that one small act of kindness can change your life. I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. This is all about the kids."

Camp leaders have praised Perry after the Why Did I Get Married? filmmaker announced he would foot the bill for the kids to take a trip to the theme park next month after he read about the incident.

Creative Steps director Alethea Wright adds, "I am ecstatic for the children," adding the kids can relate to the star because he "comes from humble beginnings".

Perry Sends Kids To Disney World

And good on him, I say! I may not like his movies (well, I don't hate them or anything, I just don't get into them much of at all), but that's a real classy thing to do.

**wanderer78** · 07-21-2009, 10:54 PM

I was about to come post an article about that. Good for TP. I hope those kids enjoy themselves.

**TheAngel** · 07-22-2009, 11:12 AM

I heard about this a while back and just couldn't believe it. I come from a pretty racially diverse community. One of my grandmother's best friends is black and they became friends when racism was still a big issue but I've never thought twice about her being a part of our lives. I'd like to believe I'm fairly colorblind and just can't imagine other people doing something like this. If it's not racially based then it's certainly economically based and currently those two things are very similar given the disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics that are living in poverty in the US.

**vc318** · 07-22-2009, 01:16 PM

That was so nice of Tyler Perry. I'm sure that beats being at that crummy pool any day.

I wonder what's been going on with this case so far.....

**sunnykerr** · 07-22-2009, 06:03 PM

It's a super duper nice thing to do. And I'm sure he gave them a whole new set of wonderful memories as well as the knowledge that not all people suck...

But I do wonder if it really changed anything for them.

I mean, I don't know if racism is something they face on a regular basis... If it is, I doubt a trip to Disney World is gonna sustain them that long.

Either way, good on Perry still. Few people would go that extra mile for kids they've never met.