State Commission: Philly Pool Incident Due to Race

The Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission (PHRC) released a report confirming what seemed obvious to many: Race was a factor in the banning of 66 black and Latino day campers from the Valley Swim Club in late June. According to NBC Philadelphia:

The state board ruled late Tuesday that there was probable cause that the private Huntington Valley, Pa., organization "refused and denied" the campers' ability to use the facilities "due to the child's race."

Several students said they heard members making racial remarks while they were at the Valley Club, which members emphatically denied.

In a 33-page affidavit, the commission details a previously unknown confrontation between a woman who made racial comments about the children and the camp's director.

And although the details of this exchange are disturbing, the commission's report, once and for all, confirms the kids' accounts that racist comments were made about them:

Club member Michelle Flynn and Creative Steps director Alethea Wright had a heated argument after Flynn asked another club member, "What are all of these black kids doing here?" She continued, "I am scared they might do something to my child and they might steal some of my stuff," according to documents.

Flynn and Deborah Mindel, both elementary school teachers, said she knew several of the children from her school and alleged that one had stolen a cell phone before. The PHRC found no evidence that the incident had previously occurred at the school, according to (attorney for four of the kids, David) Mildenberg. Source: State Rules Swim Club's Actions were Racially Motivated, NBC Philadelphia

What kind of person lies about the criminality of a child? Well, think about it. These women are teachers who've chosen to belong to a segregated club. PHRC contradicts the Valley Swim Club's declarations that it has a racially integrated membership:

The PHRC cited the race of the Valley Club's membership and marketing efforts as probable cause for the rulings. In the past two years, the club's 150-plus membership was all white, according to committee documents. They also said the club made direct marketing efforts toward white neighborhoods while not targeting other races at all. Source: NBC Philadelphia

When this story first broke, there was plenty of talk on the comment threads about the club being "private." I still don't understand how anyone defends children being treated this way, but the issues are even bigger than psychological scarring. You don't get to call yourself a private club if you expect access to public dollars and favorable tax consideration. The Valley Swim Club is registered as a "not for profit." Racial discrimination is illegal. It's looking more and more like the Valley Swim Club broke the law to satisfy the personal prejudices of some of its members.